125.WP.7484.2026 1/2 IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY NAGPUR BENCH, NAGPUR WRIT PETITION NO. 7484 OF 2026 Kumari Natasha D/o. Krushnarao Paunikar & Anr. Vs. Deputy Collector, Land Acquisition No.1, VIDC, Nagpur & Ors. ______________________________________________________________________________ Office Notes, Office Memoranda of Coram, Appearances, Court's orders of directions Court's or Judge's order and Registrar's orders. Mr. Janardhan V. Dhakate, Advocate for the Petitioners. Ms. S.S. Jachak, Addl. G.P. for the Respondents/State. ------------------------------- CORAM : URMILA JOSHI-PHALKE AND R AJ D. WAKODE , JJ. DATE : 28.09.2026 Heard learned counsel for the petitioners. 2. The petitioners have approached this Court seeking challenge to the impugned order dated 03.06.2025 passed by respondent No.1 – the Deputy Collector, Nagpur, whereby the application for issuance of a caste certificate belonging to the ‘Halba’ Scheduled Tribe was rejected. 3. Perusal of the record reveals that the petitioners have already availed the statutory remedy of filing an appeal under Section 5 of the Maharashtra Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, De-notified Tribes (Vimukta Jatis), Nomadic Tribes, Other Backward Classes and Special Backward Category (Regulation of Issuance and Verification of) Caste Certificate Act, 2000. A copy of the appeal filed by the petitioners before respondent No.2 – Scheduled Tribe Certificate Scrutiny Committee, Nagpur, on 13.06.2025 is placed on record at page No. 100 (Annexure-D). 2026:BHC-NAG:12845-DB 125.WP.7484.2026 2/2 4. Learned counsel for the petitioners submits that more than 15 months have lapsed since the filing of the aforesaid appeal, but the same has not yet been decided by respondent No.2 – Committee. Hence, the petitioners have approached this Court. 5. In view of the above, we dispose of the present writ petition with a direction to respondent No.2 – Scheduled Tribe Certificate Scrutiny Committee, Nagpur, to decide the appeal filed by the petitioners under Section 5(1) of the aforesaid Act on 13.06.2025, on its own merits and in accordance with law, within a period of two weeks from today. 6. The decision taken thereon shall be communicated to the petitioners within a period of one week thereafter. 7. The writ petition is accordingly disposed of. No costs. (RAJ D. WAKODE, J.) (URMILA JOSHI-PHALKE, J.) Vijaykumar Signed by: Mr. Vijay Kumar Designation: PA To Honourable Judge Date: 29/09/2026 12:31:36