IN THE HIGH COURT OF HIMACHAL PRADESH, SHIMLA CWP No. 15498 of 2025 Decided on: 24.09.2025 Bhagat Ram … Petitioner Versus State of Himachal Pradesh and others … Respondents Coram Hon’ble Mr. Justice Ajay Mohan Goel, Judge. Whether approved for reporting?1 _____________________________________________________ For the petitioner : Mr. Mr. Ankush Dass Sood, Senior Advocate with Mr. Sat Prakash, Advocate. For the respondents : Mr. Pushpender Jaswal, Addl. AG for respondents No. 1 and 2. Ajay Mohan Goel, Judge (Oral) Notice confined to respondents No. 1 and 2. Mr. Pushpender Jaswal, learned Additional Advocate General, accepts notice on behalf of respondents No. 1 and 2. 2. By way of this writ petition, the petitioner has inter alia prayed for the following reliefs:- “(i) Issue, a writ of certiorari to Annexure P-4 i.e. Red Scheduled Caste Certificate of the respondent No. 7 issued by Naib-Tehsildar Salooni, District Chamba, H.P. in the interest of justice and fair play. (ii) Issue a Writ of Mandamus or any other appropriate writ, order, or direction commanding the respondent No. 1 to 1 Whether reporters of the local papers may be allowed to see the judgment? 2 immediately terminate/remove the respondent No. 7, Shri Janm Singh son of Shri Manohar Lal, from the post of Pradhan of Gram Panchayat Guwadi, Tehsil Churah, District Chamba, Himachal Pradesh, on account of his ineligibility, incompetence, and fraudulent procurement of Scheduled Caste certificate; (iii) Issue a Writ of Mandamus or any other appropriate writ, order, or direction commanding the competent authority to cancel and declare void ab initio the illegal and fraudulent Scheduled Caste certificate dated 21-12-2022 issued in favor of the respondent No. 7 by the Naib-Tehsildar, Tehsil Salooni, District Chamba, Himachal Pradesh. (iv) Issue a Writ of Mandamus commanding the respondent authorities to initiate appropriate departmental action against the officials responsible for issuing the fraudulent caste certificate without proper verification and duediligence; v) Direct the respondent No. 7 to refund all salaries, allowances, perquisites, and benefits received by him during his illegal tenure as Pradhan, along with interest at the prevailing bank rate; 3. In light of the provisions of Chapter 28 of the H.P. Land Revenue Act, 1982, the petitioner is permitted to withdraw this petition, with liberty to approach the Appropriate Authority seeking revocation of the certificate. It is clarified that all that this Court has done is that it has granted the liberty to the petitioner to approach 3 the appropriate Authority and this Court has not made any observation on merit or with regard to the validity of the certificate of the private respondent. In the event of the petitioner approaching the appropriate Authority within one week from today, let needful be done within a period of six weeks after following the procedure. Pending miscellaneous applications, if any, also stand disposed of accordingly. (Ajay Mohan Goel) Judge September 24, 2025 (narender)