911&913-WP-13269&13279-26.doc Sharayu Khot. IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION WRIT PETITION NO. 13269 OF 2026 Nidhi D/o Dhiraj Koli …Petitioner Versus The State of Maharashtra & Anr. …Respondents AND WRIT PETITION NO. 13279 OF 2026 Swarnandini D/o Tanaji Dabade …Petitioner Versus The State of Maharashtra & Anr. …Respondents ---------- Mr. Ghanshyam K. Chinchole h/f Mr. V.U. Jadhav and R.L. Adhe for the Petitioners in both WPs. Mr. O.A. Chandurkar, Addl.GP a/w Smt. Vaishali S. Nimbalkar, AGP for the Respondent-AGP in WP/13269/2026. Mr. S.H. Kankal, AGP for the Respondent-AGP in WP/13279/2026. Mr. Yashodeep P. Deshmukh a/w Ms. Vaidehi Pradeep for the Respondent-CET Cell. ---------- CORAM : R.I. CHAGLA J FIRDOSH P. POONIWALLA, J DATE : 6 October 2026 1/4 SHARAYU PANDURANG KHOT Digitally signed by SHARAYU PANDURANG KHOT Date: 2026.10.08 11:14:37 +0530 911&913-WP-13269&13279-26.doc ORDER : 1. Rule. Rule made returnable forthwith. Heard by consent of the parties. 2. The above two Writ Petitions have been moved on the ground of urgency, in view of these Petitioners seeking a direction to Respondent No. 2 - State CET Cell to allow the Petitioners to participate in CAP Round III round of NEET-UG- 2026 for MBBS/BDS course without asking for submission of Tribe Validity Certificate, as the Tribe Claim of both the Petitioners are pending before the Tribe Verification Committee. 3. The Petitioners have been issued a “Koli Mahadev” Scheduled Tribe Certificate on 8th June 2017 and on 14th January 2022 respectively. Petitioners had accordingly applied for Tribe Validity Certificate in Writ Petition No. 13269 of 2023 on 25th September 2023 and in Writ Petition No. 13279 of 2023 on 28th May 2024. The Tribe Validity Claims of the Petitioners not having been decided by the Scrutiny Committee, the Petitioners were constrained to move the Aurangabad Bench of this Court, which is 2/4 911&913-WP-13269&13279-26.doc the appropriate Bench having jurisdiction over the Scrutiny Committee. The Aurangabad Bench of this Court vide order dated 30th September 2024 has directed Respondent No. 2 - Scrutiny Committee to decide the Tribe Validity Claim of the respective Petitioners in accordance with law and on their own merits as expeditiously as possible and in any event, within a period of four weeks from the date of the said order. 4. Mr. Ghanshyam Chinchole, the learned Counsel for the Petitioners, submits that the Petitioners have placed reliance upon Ishwari D/o Sainath Lakhmod Vs. The State of Maharashtra & Anr.1, wherein in a similar factual situation, this Court had observed that in Government Resolution dated 2nd July 2026 and 4th September 2026 benefit of submitting Validity Certificate in respect of reserve categories other than Scheduled Tribe had been extended by a period of six months and thereafter, by three months and which benefit had not been extended to the Scheduled Tribe category without any reasons been furnished. 5. This Court had accordingly directed the State Cell to 1 Writ Petition No. 12158 of 2024 order dated 11th September 2024 3/4 911&913-WP-13269&13279-26.doc consider the Petitioners from the Scheduled Tribe Category in the subsequent CAP rounds without insisting upon the Tribe Validity Certificate, as the Tribe Validity Claims of the Petitioners are pending before the Scrutiny Committee. 6. Accordingly, we pass a similar order, and direct Respondent No. 2 – State CET Cell to consider the Petitioners from Scheduled Tribe Category in CAP Round III of NEET-UG-2026 and onwards without insisting upon Tribe Validity Certificate as Tribe Validity Claims of the Petitioners are pending before Scrutiny Committee. 7. This shall be subject to the Petitioners’ Tribe Validity Claims being decided in their favour by the Scrutiny Committee. 8. The Writ Petitions are disposed of in these terms with no order as to costs. [FIRDOSH P. POONIWALLA, J.] [R.I. CHAGLA J.] 4/4