1 WP8132-26.odt IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY NAGPUR BENCH, NAGPUR WRIT PETITION NO.8132/2026 (SOMESHWAR DHANRAJ SONWANE VERSUS DEPUTY COMMISSIONER AND VICE-PRESIDENT, THE SCHEDULED TRIBE CERTIFICATE SCRUTINY COMMITTEE, GONDIA & ANOTHER) Office Notes, Office Memoranda of Coram, appearances, Court's orders of directions Court's or Judge's order and Registrar's orders. Shri Ananta Ramteke, counsel for the petitioner. Shri V.A. Thakare, Assistant Government Pleader for the respondents. CORAM : URMILA JOSHI-PHALKE AND RAJ D. WAKODE , JJ. D ATE : OCTOBER 08 , 2026 . P. C. Heard Shri Ananta Ramteke, learned counsel for the petitioner. 2. The petitioner has approached this Court seeking direction to the respondent no.1-The Scheduled Tribe Certificate Scrutiny Committee, Gondia (for short, ‘the Committee’) for expeditious decision of his caste claim. 3. The petitioner was appointed in Class-IV cadre by the respondent no.2-Civil Surgeon, General Hospital, Bhandara. The aforesaid appointment order dated 17.12.2024 is at Record Page No.13, Annexure-B. A perusal of the aforesaid appointment order reveals that Clause 16 casts a duty upon the petitioner to submit the caste validity certificate within a period of six months from the date of such appointment. In compliance of such directions issued by the employer, the petitioner had submitted his caste claim for verification before the respondent no.1-Committee on 18.12.2025. 4. Shri A.R. Ramteke, learned counsel for the petitioner submits that the caste claim of the petitioner is still pending before the Committee and hence the respondent no.2 can terminate the services of the petitioner on the ground that he has failed to produce the validity certificate within the stipulated period. In view of above, the petitioner has approached this Court. 2026:BHC-NAG:13576-DB 2 WP8132-26.odt 5. Shri V.A. Thakare, learned Assistant Government Pleader for the respondents, upon instructions, submits that the respondent no.1- Committee shall decide the caste claim of the petitioner within four months from today. 6. In view of above, the following order is passed:- I. The respondent no.1-Committee shall decide the caste claim of the petitioner towards ‘Mana’ Scheduled Tribe within stipulated period of four months from today. II. The petitioner shall cooperate with the respondent no.1- Committee in the aforesaid verification process without seeking unnecessary adjournments. III. The respondent no.2 is directed not to take any coercive action against the petitioner solely on the ground that he has failed to produce the caste validity certificate till the decision of the respondent no.1-Committee. IV. If the respondent no.1-Committee invalidates the caste claim of the petitioner, this interim order shall continue to operate for further period of fifteen days in order to enable the petitioner to approach the Appellate Authority seeking challenge to the order of invalidation passed by the respondent no.1-Committee. 7. The writ petition is disposed of in aforesaid terms. No costs. (RAJ D. WAKODE, J.) (URMILA JOSHI-PHALKE, J.) APTE Signed by: Apte Designation: Senior Pvt. Secretary Date: 09/10/2026 19:47:22