901-wp-11977-2026.doc jsn IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION WRIT PETITION NO.11977 OF 2026 Baliram S/o. Kiran Jamadar …Petitioner Versus The State of Maharashtra & Ors. ...Respondents ---------- Mr. G.K. Chinchole with Mr. Ratan Adhe for the Petitioner. Smt. Vaishali S. Nimbalkar, AGP for Respondent Nos.1 and 4 – State. Mr. Nikhil Chavan, for Respondent No.2 – CET Cell. ---------- CORAM : R.I. CHAGLA AND FIRDOSH P. POONIWALLA, JJ. DATE : 10TH SEPTEMBER, 2026. O R D E R: 1. This Writ Petition has been moved on the ground of urgency in view of the Petitioner seeking directions to Respondent Nos. 2 and 3 not to cancel, withdraw, or otherwise adversely affecting the Petitioner's admission to the B.E./B.Tech Course at Respondent No. 3 - College on the sole ground of non-submission of the Tribe Validity Certificate, until the decision of Respondent No. 4 on the Petitioner's Tribe Claim and for a reasonable period thereafter. 2. There are other Petitions which have been filed before this Court seeking a similar prayer. It is pertinent to note that the 1/3 JITENDRA SHANKAR NIJASURE Digitally signed by JITENDRA SHANKAR NIJASURE Date: 2026.09.11 12:15:47 +0530 901-wp-11977-2026.doc Respondent No. 4, the Scheduled Tribe Certificate Scrutiny Committee, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar–2, has its headquarters at Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. We are accordingly of the view that the Writ Petition should be transferred to the Aurangabad Bench, which would have jurisdiction over the matter. This has also been held in Writ Petition No.11975 of 2026, vide order dated 8th September 2026. 3. In the said order, this Court had upon so observing, protected the Petitioner's admission till the Petition is transferred to the Aurangabad Bench of this Court and the matter taken up for consideration. We accordingly find it appropriate to pass a similar order. 4. We accordingly direct Respondent Nos. 2 and 3 not to cancel the Petitioner's admission/allotment to the B.E./B.Tech Course at Respondent No. 3 - College on the ground of non-submission of the Tribe Validity Certificate. This direction is issued for protecting the Petitioner’s admission in the Respondent No.3 – College till the Aurangabad Bench of this Court to whom this Petition is directed to be transferred takes up the matter for consideration. Further, this 2/3 901-wp-11977-2026.doc direction has been is issued in view of the Government Resolution dated 2nd July 2026, as well as the subsequent Government Resolution dated 4th September 2026, extending the time period for submission of the Caste Validity Certificate, which by the earlier Government Resolution extended by a period of six months and thereafter by subsequent Government Resolution reduced to a period of three months for all categories other than Scheduled Tribes. We find that no reasons have been given as to why the benefit of the said Government Resolutions has not been extended to Scheduled Tribes. 5. The Registry shall accordingly transfer this Petition to the Aurangabad Bench of this Court. 6. In view of this order, though this Court had on prior date when the Writ Petition had come up directed deletion of Respondent No.4 and prayer in respect thereof, which deletion has been carried out, we consider it appropriate that Respondent No.4 be restored as party Respondent along with the said prayer. The Petitioner shall carry out the requisite amendment in the Petition forthwith. Re- verification is dispensed with. [ FIRDOSH P. POONIWALLA, J. ] [ R.I. CHAGLA J. ] 3/3