CHETAN METHRANA SHINDE vs STATE OF MAHARASHTRA THR ITS SECRETARY TRIBAL DEVELOPMENT AND ANR

Judgment text excerpt

INGLE 14-WP-7690-24.doc IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY Digitally signed by URMILA URMILA PRAMOD INGALE PRAMOD INGALE Date: 2026.01.19 19:18:05 CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION +0530 WRIT PETITION NO. 7690 OF 2024 Chetan Methrana Shinde … Petitioner V/s. State of Maharashtra and anr. … Respondents Mr. Rahul Kadam a/w Mr. Vedant Babar, for the Petitioner. Ms. Kavita N. Solunke, Addl. GP a/w Ms. Rupali M. Shinde, AGP, for the Respondent-State. CORAM : M.S. KARNIK AND S.M.MODAK, JJ. DATE : 16th JANUARY 2026 ORAL JUDGMENT ( PER M.S.KARNIK, J.) :- 1. Heard learned counsel for the Petitioner and learned AGP appearing for the Respondent – State. 2. The caste claim of the Petitioner as belonging to ‘Phase-Pardhi, Scheduled Tribe’ has been invalidated by the Respondent No.2- Scheduled Tribe Certificate Scrutiny Committee, Pune, (‘The Committee’, for short). We have perused the impugned order. Learned AGP while arguing in support of the order has submitted that the Committee has for valid reasons invalidated the caste claim of the Petitioner. It is submitted that the Petitioner has not been able to produce any pre-constitutional documents on record in support of his tribe claim and moreover, the certificate of 1/4 INGLE 14-WP-7690-24.doc validity of his cousin -Shubhada Mansoor Shinde which is at page 34 of the paper-book relied upon has been discarded as the Petitioner has not been able to place on record any revenue entries to prove such relationship. 3. We have heard learned counsel for the Petitioner and learned AGP. On record is the certificate of validity which has been issued to cousin of the Petitioner on 27/3/2019 as belonging to ‘Phase-Pardhi, Scheduled Tribe’. An affidavit has been filed by the Petitioner showing the genealogy which is at page 36 of the paper-boo