Bombay High Court
SWARNANDINI TANAJI DABADEversusTHE STATE OF MAHARASHTRA THR SECRETARY AND ANOTHER
- Disposal
- DISPOSED OFF
Holding
The Court directed the Scrutiny Committee to decide the petitioners' tribal validity claims on merits within four weeks.
Summary
Petitioners Swarnandini Tanaji Dabade and Nidhi Dhiraj Koli filed writ petitions seeking a direction to the Scrutiny Committee to decide their claims of tribal status, which had been pending since May 2024 and September 2023 respectively. The petitions were limited to obtaining a timely decision on the validity of their tribe claims. The Court examined whether the Scrutiny Committee had a duty to adjudicate the claims expeditiously under the law. It held that, given the limited prayer, the Committee must decide the claims on their merits within four weeks. Accordingly, both writ petitions were disposed of with the direction to the Committee to render its decision within the stipulated period.
Issues considered
- What is the appropriate judicial direction to a Scrutiny Committee regarding pending tribal validity claims?
- Does the Court have the authority to impose a time‑bound deadline on the Committee to decide such claims?
Subjects
- tribal status
- scrutiny committee
- writ petition
- direction
- expeditious decision
Judgment
2026:BHC-AUG:46357-DB
Sr. No. 903 & 907
IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY
BENCH AT AURANGABAD
903 WRIT PETITION NO. 13334 OF 2026
Swarnandini Tanaji Dabade
VERSUS
The State Of Maharashtra Thr Secretary And Another
…
AND
907 WRIT PETITION NO. 13344 OF 2026
Nidhi Dhiraj Koli
VERSUS
The State Of Maharashtra Thr Secretary And Another
…
• Mr. Girish N. Kulkarni (Mardikar), Advocate for the Petitioners.
• Mr. P. S. Patil, Additional Government Pleader for the
Respondent-State in Writ Petition No. 13334 of 2026.
• Mr. S. R. Yadav-Lonikar, AGP for the Respondent-State in Writ
Petition No. 13344 of 2026.r. S. R. Yadav-Lonikar, AGP for
Respondents - State
…
CORAM : KISHORE C. SANT &
JITENDRA JAIN, JJ.
DATE : 30th SEPTEMBER, 2026
PER COURT :
1. Heard learned Advocate for the Petitioners and learned
Additional Government Pleader / AGP for the Respondent-State.
2. The limited prayer in these Petitions is for a direction to
Respondent No. 2 – Scrutiny Committee to decide the tribe validity
claims of the respective Petitioners, which are stated to be pending
since 28th May, 2024 in Writ Petition No. 13334 of 2026 and since
25th September, 2023 in Writ Petition No. 13344 of 2026.
Jhs/ 1/2
Sr. No. 903 & 907
3. Considering the limited nature of the prayer, Respondent
No. 2 – Scrutiny Committee is directed to decide the tribe validity
claims 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 today.
4. Both the Writ Petitions stand disposed of in the above
terms.
[JITENDRA JAIN, J.] [KISHORE C. SANT, J.]
Jhs/ 2/2
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