119.WP.7859.2026 1/3 IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY NAGPUR BENCH, NAGPUR WRIT PETITION NO. 7859 OF 2026 Vinayak Babarav Jumale Vs. The Scheduled Tribe Caste Certificate Scrutiny Committee, Amravati & Anr. ______________________________________________________________________________ Office Notes, Office Memoranda of Coram, Appearances, Court's orders of directions Court's or Judge's order and Registrar's orders. Ms. Rajshree S. Kabra, Advocate for the Petitioner. Mr. S.V. Narale, AGP for the Respondents/State. ------------------------------- CORAM : URMILA JOSHI-PHALKE AND R AJ D. WAKODE , JJ. DATE : 05.10.2026 Heard Ms. Rajshree S. Kabra, learned counsel for the petitioner. 2. The contention is that respondent No.2 – Sub-Divisional Officer, Akola, rejected the application submitted by the petitioner seeking issuance of a caste certificate showing his caste as ‘Koli Mahadev’ Scheduled Tribe. The aforesaid order dated 5th February, 2026 is placed on record at page No.27 (Annexure-4). Being aggrieved by the said order, the petitioner approached respondent No.1 – Scheduled Tribe Caste Certificate Scrutiny Committee, Amravati, by filing a statutory appeal on 13th February, 2026. The aforesaid appeal is placed on record at page No.29 (Annexure-5). 3. Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that, despite the passage of more than seven months, the aforesaid appeal has not yet been decided by respondent No.1. Learned counsel also invites our attention to the caste certificate issued to 2026:BHC-NAG:13320-DB 119.WP.7859.2026 2/3 Ms. Darshana Vinayak Jumale, who is the daughter of the petitioner. The said caste certificate, issued in Form-C showing her caste as ‘Koli Mahadev’ Scheduled Tribe, is placed on record at page No.26 (Annexure-3). In view of the aforesaid facts, learned counsel for the petitioner submits that respondent No.1 is not justified in keeping the appeal filed by the petitioner pending and, therefore, the petitioner has approached this Court. 4. Mr. Narale, learned AGP appearing for the respondents, submits that the aforesaid appeal, if not already decided, shall be decided within a period of four weeks from today. 5. In view of the aforesaid statement made by the learned AGP, the grievance raised by the petitioner stands redressed. We, therefore, dispose of the present writ petition with a direction to respondent No.1 – Committee to decide the aforesaid appeal filed by the petitioner within a period of four weeks from today. 6. Respondent No.1 – Committee shall decide the aforesaid appeal on its own merits and in accordance with law, and more particularly, in view of the judgment dated 10th November, 2025 passed by this Court in Writ Petition No.1409 of 2025, so also keeping in view the fact that respondent No.1 – Committee has already issued a caste certificate showing the daughter of the petitioner as belonging to the ‘Koli Mahadev’ Scheduled Tribe. 119.WP.7859.2026 3/3 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: 07/10/2026 10:21:23