Bombay High Court
CHAITALI VINOD KOLIversusTHE STATE OF MAHARASHTRA THR ITS SECRETARY AND ANOTHER
- Disposal
- DISPOSED OFF
Holding
The Court may direct the Scrutiny Committee to decide the petitioner’s tribe claim within one year from the date of the order.
Summary
The petitioner, a student, sought admission to a professional course under a seat reserved for Scheduled Tribe candidates and applied for caste/tribe certificate verification on 18 May 2026. She filed a writ petition requesting the Scrutiny Committee to decide her claim within a stipulated period. The respondent, the State of Maharashtra, informed the court that the Committee would need at least one year to adjudicate the claim. The Court examined whether it could impose a time‑limit on the Committee’s decision‑making process. It held that the Court could direct the Committee to decide the claim within one year from the date of the order. Accordingly, the Court ordered the Committee to render its decision within one year and disposed of the petition.
Issues considered
- Whether the High Court can direct the Scrutiny Committee to decide a tribe‑certificate claim within a specific time‑frame
Subjects
- tribal certificate verification
- reservation
- admission
- scrutiny committee
- writ petition
- time limit
- scheduled tribe
Judgment
2026:BHC-AUG:39545-DB
9 WP NO. 11218 OF 2026
IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY
BENCH AT AURANGABAD
WRIT PETITION NO. 11218 OF 2026
Chaitali Vinod Koli
VERSUS
The State Of Maharashtra Through Its Secretary And Another
…
• Mr. Vishal V. Ghansawdh, Advocate h/f. Mr. M. V. Thorat,
Advocate for the Petitioner
• Mr. P. S. Patil, Addl.GP for Respondents - State
…
CORAM : KISHORE C. SANT &
JITENDRA JAIN, JJ.
DATE : 31st AUGUST, 2026
PER COURT :
1. The petitioner is praying for a direction to respondent No. 2
– Scrutiny Committee to decide her claim within a stipulated period.
It is stated that the petitioner is a student desirous of taking
admission to a professional course against a seat reserved for a
candidate belonging to the Scheduled Tribe category. The petitioner
has submitted her proposal for Caste/Tribe Certificate Verification on
18.05.2026.
2. Learned Addl. G.P., on instructions, submits that the
Committee will require at least one year to decide the claim of the
petitioner.
3. Considering the above, we direct the Committee to decide
the tribe claim of the petitioner within a period of one year from
today.
4. With this, the writ petition stands disposed of.
[JITENDRA JAIN, J.] [KISHORE C. SANT, J.]
Jhs/ 1/1
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