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Smt Shobha B M v. District Caste Verification Committee

Karnataka HC16 Jul 2026WP/13635/2026

Case brief

AI extract

What is this about?

Caste verification proceedings; false SC/ST caste certificate complaint; District Caste Verification Committee (DCVC) show cause notice dated 25.03.2026 quashed; jurisdictional error; mandatory referral to ADGP, Civil Rights Enforcement (CRE) Cell under Circular dated 04.05.2013; Commissioner of Police not the Appointing or Disciplinary Authority; routing via Director General of Police; CRE Cell enquiry report to DCVC; writ of certiorari; Articles 226 and 227, Constitution of India; Karnataka High Court at Bengaluru; Suraj Govindaraj, J.; WP No. 13635 of 2026 (GM-RES); decided 16.07.2026.

What did the court decide?

Writ petition allowed; show cause notice dated 25.03.2026 at Annexure-L quashed; liberty reserved to the Director General of Police to comply with the applicable procedure and take such action as may be permissible. ¶63

Smt Shobha B M Vs District Caste Verification… — Writ and Judicial Review | Karnataka HC (2026)

What the court decided

AI extract

Outcome

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Issue for consideration

Whether the District Caste Verification Committee had jurisdiction to issue the show cause notice dated 25.03.2026 when the complaint against the petitioner was not referred to the CRE Cell and no CRE Cell opinion preceded the notice. +1 more

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Court's answer

The prescribed procedure not having been followed, the impugned show cause notice dated 25.03.2026 suffers from jurisdictional error.

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Ratio / Principle

Under the Circular dated 04.05.2013, whenever a complaint is received against any officer/official regarding a false SC/ST caste certificate, the concerned Department/PSU/Agency/Society must refer the matter for enquiry, enclosing the complaint and the caste certificate, to the ADGP, CRE Cell, Palace Road, Bengaluru, with a copy to the concerned Deputy Commissioner and to the Principal Secretary/Secretary, Social Welfare Department.

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Key takeaways

On receipt of the complaint, the CRE Cell makes the necessary enquiry and sends the enquiry report to the DCVC headed by the Deputy Commissioner; thereafter the DCVC is at liberty to take such action as may be permissible, including cancellation of the caste certificate.ratio¶53
In the present case the complaint was filed to the Commissioner of Police, who is not the Appointing or Disciplinary Authority; he was required to forward it to the Director General of Police, who in turn could have forwarded it to the ADGP, CRE Cell etc., as indicated in the Circular.ratio¶54

Detailed headnote1 paragraphs

Writ Petition (GM-RES) allowed. Caste verification — show cause notice dated 25.03.2026 (Annexure-L) issued by the District Caste Verification Committee, Bengaluru Urban District, quashed for jurisdictional error: the complaint against the petitioner was filed to the Commissioner of Police, who — not being the Appointing or Disciplinary Authority — forwarded it directly to the DCVC instead of to the Director General of Police for onward transmission to the ADGP, CRE Cell as contemplated by the Circular dated 04.05.2013; the complaint had not been referred to the CRE Cell and no CRE Cell enquiry report or opinion preceded the notice. Per the Circular, complaints of false SC/ST caste certificates must be referred by the concerned Department/PSU/Agency/Society to the ADGP, CRE Cell (copies to the Deputy Commissioner and the Principal Secretary/Secretary, Social Welfare Department); the CRE Cell enquires and sends its report to the DCVC, which may then act, including cancellation of the certificate. Liberty reserved to the Director General of Police to comply with the applicable procedure and take permissible action. (Suraj Govindaraj, J.; 16 July 2026.)

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NC: 2026:KHC:36623 WP No. 13635 of 2026

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HC-KAR

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CNR: KAHC010307172026

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IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA AT BENGALURU

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DATED THIS THE 16^TH DAY OF JULY, 2026

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BEFORE

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THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE SURAJ GOVINDARAJ WRIT PETITION NO. 13635 OF 2026 (GM-RES)

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BETWEEN:

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SMT. SHOBHA B M W/O B.N. KASTURIRANGAN, AGED ABOUT 51 YEARS R/AT NO. 103, 1ST FLOOR, CAR POLICE OFFICER QUARTERS, BENGALURU - 560 018.

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…PETITIONER

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(BY SRI. KIRAN KUMAR H,ADVOCATE)

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AND:

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��

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��

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DISTRICT CASTE VERIFICATION COMMITTEE BENGALURU URBAN DISTRICT, THROUGH THE JOINT DIRECTOR, SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT BANGALORE CITY DISTRICT, BANGALORE - 560 002.

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THE SOCIAL WELFARE OFFICER, OFFICE OF THE JOINT DIRECTOR, SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT, BANGALORE CITY DISTRICT, BANGALORE - 560 002.

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THE DEPUTY SUPERINTENDENT OF POLICE,

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HC-KAR

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NC: 2026:KHC:36623 WP No. 13635 of 2026

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CNR: KAHC010307172026

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CIVIL RIGHTS ENFORCEMENT CELL, NO.1, TANTRIKA SHIKSHANA BHAVAN, 1ST FLOOR, ARMANE ROAD, BANGALORE - 560 001.

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THE DIRECTOR GENERAL OF POLICE AND INSPECTOR GENERAL OF OLICE BENGALURU POLICE HEAD QUARTERS NRUPATUNGA ROAD AMBEDKAR VEEDHI BENGALURU - 560 001.

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…RESPONDENTS

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(BY SRI. C. JAGADEESH, ADVOCATE FOR R1 TO R3)

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THIS WP IS FILED UNDER ARTICLES 226 AND 227 OF THE CONSTITUTION OF INDIA PRAYING TO A) ISSUE A WRIT IN THE NATURE OF CERTIORARI OR ANY OTHER APPROPRIATE WRIT, ORDER OR DIRECTION, QUASHING THE NOTICE DATED 25.03.2026 NO.JISAKA/BEM(N)/JAPA/2025-26 ISSUED BY RESPONDENT NO.1 AND 2 VIDE ANNEXURE-L INITIATING CASTE VERIFICATION PROCEEDINGS AGAINST THE PETITIONER AND ETC.,

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THIS PETITION, COMING ON FOR PRELIMINARY HEARING, THIS DAY, ORDER WAS MADE THEREIN AS UNDER: CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE SURAJ GOVINDARAJ

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ORAL ORDER

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The petitioner is before this Court seeking for the following reliefs:

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" a) Issue a writ in the nature of certiorari or an other appropriate writ, order or direction, quashing the notice dated 25.03.2026 No.JISKA/BEM(N)/JAPA/2025-26 issued by

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HC-KAR

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NC: 2026:KHC:36623 WP No. 13635 of 2026

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CNR: KAHC010307172026

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Respondent No.1 and 2 vide ANNEXURE-L initiating caste verification proceedings against the Petitioner;

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b) Grant such other reliefs as this Hon'ble Court deems fit in the facts and circumstances of the case, in the interest of justice and equity."

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The short grievance of the petitioner is that though a complaint has been filed against the petitioner, the said complaint has not been referred by the appointing authority/disciplinary authority to the CRE Cell and there is no opinion expressed by the CRE Cell as to what action needs to be taken against the petitioner. The District Caste Verification Committee ('DCVC' for short) could not have issued the show cause notice dated 25.03.2026 on that ground.

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He submits that there is a jurisdictional error on the part of the DCVC inasmuch as, without a recommendation from the CRE Cell, such a notice could not have been issued.

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HC-KAR

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NC: 2026:KHC:36623 WP No. 13635 of 2026

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CNR: KAHC010307172026

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A Circular dated 04.05.2013 is pressed into service

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towards the same.

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A perusal of the Circular dated 04.05.2013 indicates that this is one another clarification which has been issued through the said Circular directing that whenever any complaint is received against any officer/officials regarding SC/ST false Caste Certificate, the concerned

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Department/PSU/Agency/Society, has to refer the matter for enquiry enclosing a copy of the complaint and the Caste Certificate submitted to the Department/PSU/Agency/Society to the ADGP, CRE Cell, Palace Road, Bengaluru, with a copy to the concerned Deputy Commissioner of the District in which such Certificate was obtained from the Tahsildar and to the Principal Secretary/Secretary of Social Welfare Department, Vikasa Soudha,

Bengaluru.

HC-KAR

NC: 2026:KHC:36623 WP No. 13635 of 2026

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CNR: KAHC010307172026

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It is on receipt of the complaint, the CRE Cell would proceed further to make necessary enquiry and send the enquiry report to the DCVC, headed by the Deputy Commissioner and thereafter DCVC is at liberty to take such action as may be permissible, including the cancellation of the Caste Certificate.

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In the present case, a complaint was filed against the petitioner to the Commissioner of Police, which was forwarded by the Commissioner of Police to the DCVC and the DCVC has issued the impugned notice dated 25.03.2026 at Annexure-L. The Commissioner is not the Appointing or Disciplinary Authority. It was required for the Commissioner to have forwarded the complaint to the Director General of Police, who could have, in turn, forwarded it to the ADGP, CRE Cell etc., as indicated supra . This procedure not having been followed, the impugned show cause

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HC-KAR

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NC: 2026:KHC:36623 WP No. 13635 of 2026

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CNR: KAHC010307172026

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notice which has been issued, suffers from

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jurisdictional error as indicated supra .

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