PANDHARI HARIBHAU SINHE vs THE STATE OF MAHA., THR. SECRETARY, SOCIAL JUSTICE AND SPECIAL ASSISTANCE DEPT., MUMBAI AND ORS — WP/6947/2023

Case under Sc, St, De-notified Tribes (Vimukta Jatis), Nomadic Tribes, Other Backward Classes and Special Backward Category (Regulation of Issuance and Verification of) Caste Certificate Act (Maha.) Section 226, 227. Disposed: Contested--ALLOWED on 06th May 2026.

Case disposed

CNR: HCBM040288452023

Filing Number

WP/20654/2023

Filing Date

11-Oct-2023

Registration No

WP/6947/2023

Registration Date

12-Oct-2023

Judge

Hon'ble Smt. Justice M. S. Jawalkar , Hon'ble Shri Justice Nandesh Shankarrao Deshpande

Coram

Hon'ble Smt. Justice M. S. Jawalkar , Hon'ble Shri Justice Nandesh Shankarrao Deshpande

Bench Type

Division

Judicial Branch

Civil

Decision Date

06-May-2026

Nature of Disposal

Contested--ALLOWED

Last updated 19-Jun-2026

Acts & Sections

Sc, St, De-notified Tribes (Vimukta Jatis), Nomadic Tribes, Other Backward Classes and Special Backward Category (Regulation of Issuance and Verification of) Caste Certificate Act (Maha.) Section 226, 227
Constitution of India

Petitioner(s)

  1. 1.PANDHARI HARIBHAU SINHE

    Adv. ASHOK P. TATHOD,FIRDOS MIRZA,FIRDOS MIRZA, ,APARNA MAHADEORAO TELANGE,ISHA DEEPAK THAKARE,(FOR PETITIONER),NIKITA SAHEBRAO PATIL,SHRESHTHA G. RAO,PARESH SURESHSINGH THAKUR,SHAAD FIRDOS MIRZA,FIRDOS MIRZA

Respondent(s)

  1. 1.THE STATE OF MAHA., THR. SECRETARY, SOCIAL JUSTICE AND SPECIAL ASSISTANCE DEPT., MUMBAI AND ORS

    Adv. ,SANTOSH DAMODAR CHANDE,S. R. NARNAWARE,NEHANSHU PREMCHAND PATIL,SANTOSH DAMODAR CHANDE,(FOR R

  2. 2.1123

  3. 3.THE DISTRICT CASTE CERTIFICATE SCRUTINY COMMITTEE, AKOLA THR. RESEARCH OFFICER AND MEMBER SECRETARY

  4. 4.SANJAY RAMBHAU SHINDE

Case History

  1. Case disposedDisposed

  2. 06-May-2026

    Hon'ble Smt. Justice M. S. Jawalkar,hon'ble Shri Justice Nandesh Shankarrao DeshpandeView PDF

    Case Summary: WP/6947/2023 Court Decision: The High Court of Bombay (Nagpur Bench) allowed the writ petition, quashing the District Caste Certificate Scrutiny Committee's order validating Respondent No. 3's "Kunbi" OBC caste claim. The court declared that Respondent No. 3 does not belong to the Kunbi OBC caste. Key Reasoning: The Committee's decision was deemed "perverse" and legally unsustainable because it relied solely on a Kotwal Book extract of "Vithu Sabraji Kunbi" without adequately establishing his relationship to Respondent No. 3, while ignoring multiple consistent documents (school registers, service books, certificates from 1924-2010) showing the family's caste as "Maratha." The court found the Committee ignored the Vigilance Cell report's findings and failed to provide specific reasons for discarding petitioner's evidence, appearing "hellbent" on validating the contested certificate. This case analysis is maintained by casestatus.in based on publicly available court records.

  3. 30-Mar-2026

    Hon'ble Smt. Justice M. S. Jawalkar,hon'ble Shri Justice Nandesh Shankarrao DeshpandeView PDF

  4. 06-Mar-2026

    For Admission-Caste Scrutiny Matters

    Hon'ble Smt. Justice M. S. Jawalkar , Hon'ble Shri Justice Nandesh Shankarrao Deshpande

  5. 18-Feb-2026

    For Admission-Caste Scrutiny Matters

    Hon'ble Smt. Justice M. S. Jawalkar , Hon'ble Shri Justice Nandesh Shankarrao Deshpande

  6. 17-Feb-2026

    Hon'ble Smt. Justice M. S. Jawalkar,hon'ble Shri Justice Nandesh Shankarrao DeshpandeView PDF

  7. 29-Jan-2026

    For Admission-Caste Scrutiny Matters

    Hon'ble Smt. Justice M. S. Jawalkar , Hon'ble Shri Justice Nandesh Shankarrao Deshpande

  8. 12-Jan-2026

    Hon'ble Smt. Justice M. S. Jawalkar,hon'ble Shri Justice Nandesh Shankarrao DeshpandeView PDF

  9. 12-Jan-2026

    For Admission-Caste Scrutiny Matters

    Hon'ble Smt. Justice M. S. Jawalkar , Hon'ble Shri Justice M. W. Chandwani

  10. 16-Dec-2025

    Hon'ble Smt. Justice M. S. Jawalkar,hon'ble Shri Justice M. W. ChandwaniView PDF

  11. 22-Sep-2025

    For Admission-Caste Scrutiny Matters

    Hon'ble Shri Justice Anil S. Kilor , Hon'ble Shri Justice Ajit B. Kadethankar

  12. 02-Sep-2025

    Hon'ble Shri Justice Anil S. Kilor,hon'ble Shri Justice Ajit B. KadethankarView PDF

  13. 02-Sep-2025

    For Admission-Caste Scrutiny Matters

    Hon'ble Shri Justice Anil S. Kilor , Hon'ble Mrs. Justice Vrushali V. Joshi

  14. 12-Aug-2025

    Hon'ble Shri Justice Anil S. Kilor,hon'ble Mrs. Justice Vrushali V. JoshiView PDF

  15. 04-Jul-2024

    For Admission - (Civil Side Matters)

    Hon'ble Shri Justice Avinash G. Gharote , Hon'ble Smt. Justice M. S. Jawalkar

  16. 18-Apr-2024

    Hon'ble Shri Justice Avinash G. Gharote,hon'ble Smt. Justice M. S. JawalkarView PDF

  17. 18-Apr-2024

    For Admission - (Civil Side Matters)

    Hon'ble Shri Justice Avinash G. Gharote , Hon'ble Smt. Justice M. S. Jawalkar

  18. 04-Apr-2024

    Hon'ble Shri Justice Avinash G. Gharote,hon'ble Smt. Justice M. S. JawalkarView PDF

  19. 04-Apr-2024

    For Admission -

    Hon'ble Shri Justice Anil S. Kilor , Hon'ble Smt. Justice M. S. Jawalkar

  20. 21-Mar-2024

    Hon'ble Shri Justice Anil S. Kilor,hon'ble Smt. Justice M. S. JawalkarView PDF

  21. 18-Mar-2024

    For Admission -

    Hon'ble Shri Justice Anil S. Kilor , Hon'ble Smt. Justice M. S. Jawalkar

  22. 11-Mar-2024

    Hon'ble Shri Justice Anil S. Kilor,hon'ble Smt. Justice M. S. JawalkarView PDF

  23. 11-Mar-2024

    For Admission - (Civil Side Matters)

    Hon'ble Shri Justice Avinash G. Gharote , Hon'ble Smt. Justice M. S. Jawalkar

  24. 28-Feb-2024

    Hon'ble Shri Justice Avinash G. Gharote,hon'ble Smt. Justice M. S. JawalkarView PDF

  25. 12-Feb-2024

    For Admission - (Civil Side Matters)

    Hon'ble Shri Justice Avinash G. Gharote , Hon'ble Smt. Justice M. S. Jawalkar

  26. 10-Nov-2023

    Fresh Admission (Civil Side Matters)

    Hon'ble Shri Justice A.S. Chandurkar , Hon'ble Mrs. Justice Vrushali V. Joshi

  27. 13-Oct-2023

    Hon'ble Shri Justice A.S. Chandurkar,hon'ble Mrs. Justice Vrushali V. JoshiView PDF

  28. 13-Oct-2023

    First hearing

    Initial hearing scheduled

  29. 11-Oct-2023

    Case filed

    Registration No. WP/6947/2023

casestatus.in Summary

Case Summary: WP/6947/2023 Court Decision: The High Court of Bombay (Nagpur Bench) allowed the writ petition, quashing the District Caste Certificate Scrutiny Committee's order validating Respondent No. 3's "Kunbi" OBC caste claim. The court declared that Respondent No. 3 does not belong to the Kunbi OBC caste. Key Reasoning: The Committee's decision was deemed "perverse" and legally unsustainable because it relied solely on a Kotwal Book extract of "Vithu Sabraji Kunbi" without adequately establishing his relationship to Respondent No. 3, while ignoring multiple consistent documents (school registers, service books, certificates from 1924-2010) showing the family's caste as "Maratha." The court found the Committee ignored the Vigilance Cell report's findings and failed to provide specific reasons for discarding petitioner's evidence, appearing "hellbent" on validating the contested certificate. This case analysis is maintained by casestatus.in based on publicly available court records.

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