DATTU S/O NAMDEV THAKUR vs STATE OF MAHARASHTRA .

The Supreme Court upheld the Bombay High Court's decision to invalidate the caste certificates of the petitioners, which were issued in 2001 but later questioned by the Caste Scrutiny Committee in 2009 due to failure to prove their Scheduled Tribe status under the Maharashtra Scheduled Tribes List. The Court noted the significant delay in the scrutiny process and the petitioners' continued benefits from the certificates, ultimately deciding that the cancellation was justified. However, it emphasized the need for a fair process and consideration of the intervening circumstances before invalidating such certificates.