Bombay High Court

SAINATH GANGADHAR WANTEKAR AND OTHESversusTHE STATE OF MAHARASHTRA THROUGH ITS SECRETARY AND ANOTHER

Disposal: DISPOSED OFF
Bench: KISHORE C SANT AJIT B KADETHANKAR

Holding

The Scrutiny Committee shall decide the petitioner's tribal claim within one month from the date of the order.

Summary

Petitioner Sainath Gangadhar Wantekar filed a writ petition alleging that the Scrutiny Committee had not decided his claim for tribal status. The petition sought a direction to the Committee to make a determination. The State, represented by the Attorney General, informed the Court that the Vigilance Committee's report had already been received by the Scrutiny Committee and that the claim could be decided within one month. The Court, after hearing counsel, ordered the Scrutiny Committee to decide the tribal claim within a month and directed the petitioner to cooperate. Consequently, the writ petition was disposed of.

Issues considered

Whether the Scrutiny Committee is obligated to decide the petitioner's claim for tribal status within a specified time.

Subjects

tribal status
scrutiny committee
writ petition
administrative law
timely decision

Judgment

2026:BHC-AUG:25667-DB


                                                                             6844.26wp
                                                  (1)

                     IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY
                                BENCH AT AURANGABAD

                             947 WRIT PETITION NO. 6844 OF 2026

                     SAINATH GANGADHAR WANTEKAR AND OTHERS
                                      VERSUS
                  THE STATE OF MAHARASHTRA THROUGH ITS SECRETARY
                                   AND ANOTHER
                                                 …..
                Mr M. V. Thorat, Advocate for Petitioners
                Mr P. K. Lakhotiya, AGP for Respondents/State
                                                …..

                                        CORAM : KISHORE C. SANT
                                                       AND
                                                AJIT B. KADETHANKAR, JJ.

                                             DATE : 02nd JULY 2026

                PER COURT :-


                1.          Heard learned Advocate for the petitioners and the learned

                AGP for respondents/State.


                2.          The limited grievance of the petitioner in this petition is

                that respondent No.2/Scrutiny Committee is not deciding his tribe

                claim.


                3.          Learned AGP informs that vigilance committee’s report is

                already received by the Scrutiny Committee and the tribe claim of the

                petitioner can be decided within a period of one month.
                                                             6844.26wp
                                  (2)

4.          Considering above, this writ petition is disposed of.

Respondent No.2/Scrutiny Committee shall decide tribe claim of the

petitioner within a period of one month from today. The petitioner

shall cooperate the Committee in deciding his tribe claim.




[AJIT B. KADETHANKAR, J.]                  [KISHORE C. SANT, J.]
sjk

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