Shelly Sonkar Vs Union of India — Chhattisgarh HC (2026) — LawSathi Research

Shelly Sonkar Vs Union of India — Chhattisgarh HC (2026) — LawSathi Research

What the court decided

AI extract

Outcome

Permission to the petitioner to submit a fresh application for issuance of a caste certificate before the competent authority (Sub-Divisional Officer (Revenue)) under the procedure in the Act of 2013, with a direction that the competent authority consider and decide it expeditiously in accordance with law; certified copy as per rules.

Issue for consideration

Whether relief should be granted to the petitioner whose caste certificate application, filed before the Tehsildar (respondent No.5) and registered vide Annexure P-7, was not considered despite lapse of sufficient time, given the competent authority under the Act of 2013 is the Sub-Divisional Officer (Revenue).

Court's answer

Under the Act of 2013 read with the State Government Circular dated 24.09.2013 (Annexure R-1), the competent authority for issuance of a caste certificate is the Collector, Additional Collector, Deputy Collector and Sub-Divisional Officer (Revenue), and generally the Sub-Divisional Officer (Revenue).

Ratio / Principle

The writ petition is disposed of at this stage, permitting the petitioner to submit a fresh application for issuance of a caste certificate before the competent authority, i.e., the Sub-Divisional Officer (Revenue) concerned, in accordance with the procedure prescribed under the Act of 2013.

Key takeaways

If the petitioner submits such an application, the competent authority concerned shall consider and decide it expeditiously in accordance with law.ratio¶5

Detailed headnote1 paragraphs

Caste certificate — Competent authority — Chhattisgarh Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribe and Other Backward Classes (Regulation of Social Status Certification) Act, 2013 — Petitioner applied to the Tehsildar, Bilaspur (respondent No.5), who registered a case and drew up proceedings vide Annexure P-7, but the application was not considered despite lapse of sufficient time — Held, per the State Government Circular dated 24.09.2013 (Annexure R-1), the competent authority for issuance of a caste certificate is the Collector, Additional Collector, Deputy Collector and Sub-Divisional Officer (Revenue), and generally the Sub-Divisional Officer (Revenue) — Writ petition disposed of at this stage permitting the petitioner to submit a fresh application before the Sub-Divisional Officer (Revenue) in accordance with the procedure under the Act of 2013, with a direction that the competent authority consider and decide it expeditiously in accordance with law. Certified copy as per rules.

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SYED ROSHAN ZAMIR ALI

Digitally signed by SYED ROSHAN ZAMIR ALI

CGHC010111402021

2026:CGHC:30310

NAFR

HIGH COURT OF CHHATTISGARH AT BILASPUR

WPC No. 3460 of 2021

Shelly Sonkar D/o Roopnarayan Sonkar Aged About 36 Years R/o B / 402, Rajkishore Nagar, District Bilaspur Chhattisgarh., District : Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh

... Petitioner

versus

Union of India Through The Secretary, Schedule Caste Welfare Division, Ministry Of Social Justice And Empowerment, New Delhi, Delhi (India).

State of Chhattisgarh Through The Secretary, Tribal And Schedule Caste Development Department, Atal Nagar New Raipur District Raipur Chhattisgarh.

Directorate Of Public Education Through Its Secretary, Indrawati Bhawan, New Raipur, District Raipur Chhattisgarh.

Director Directorate Of Public Education Indrawati Bhawan, New Raipur District Raipur Chhattisgarh.

Tehsildar Bilaspur, District Bilaspur Chhattisgarh.

... Respondents

For Petitioner : Mr. Vivek Tripathi, Advocate For Respondents : Mr. Atanu Ghosh, Government Advocate

: Mr. Atanu Ghosh, Government Advocate

SB: Hon’ble Mr. Justice Parth Prateem Sahu

Order on Board

16/07/2026

Grievance of petitioner is that she submitted an application

before respondent No.5-Tahsildar for issuance of caste

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certificate in her favour. Respondent No.5 registered a case and drawn the proceeding vide Annexure P-7. However, despite lapse of sufficient time, application of the petitioner has not been considered and caste certificate has not been issued in her favour.

Learned State Counsel would submit that competent authority for issuance of caste certificate is the Sub-Divisional Officer (R) and no document is placed on record by petitioner to show that she has submitted application before the competent authority for issuance of caste certificate.

Heard learned counsel for the parties.

Caste certificate is to be issued under the Chhattisgarh Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribe and Other Backward Classes (Regulation of Social Status Certification) Act, 2013 (for short ‘the Act of 2013’). The State Government has issued Circular dated 24.09.2013 (Annexure R-1) in which the competent authority for issuance of caste certificate has been specified to be the Collector, Additional Collector, Deputy Collector and Sub-Divisional Officer (Revenue). It also specifies that generally the competent authority for caste certificate will be Sub-Divisional Officer (Revenue).

In the above facts of the case, this writ petition is disposed of, at this stage, permitting the petitioner to submit fresh application for issuance of caste certificate before the

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competent authority i.e. Sub-Divisional Officer (Revenue) concerned, in accordance with the procedure as prescribed under the Act of 2013. If such an application is submitted by petitioner, the competent authority concerned shall consider and decide the same expeditiously in accordance with law.

Certified copy as per rules.

Sd/-

(Parth Prateem Sahu) Judge

roshan/-