Bombay High Court
PRAVIN MOTESING GHOTI AND ANOTHERversusTHE STATE OF MAHARASHTRA THROUGH SECRETARY AND ANOTHER
- Disposal
- DISPOSED OFF
Holding
The Court directed the scrutiny committee to decide the petitioners' tribe claim by the end of August 2026.
Summary
The petitioners, Pravin Motesing Ghoti and another, filed a writ petition seeking a direction to the State's scrutiny committee to decide their tribe claim, which had been pending since June 2025. They argued urgency because one petitioner had secured admission to IIT Bhubaneswar, conditional on producing a caste validity certificate. The Court examined the petition and found merit in expediting the decision to avoid prejudice to the petitioner’s educational opportunity. Accordingly, the Court directed the scrutiny committee to determine the tribe claim at the earliest, specifying a deadline of the end of August 2026. The petition was thereafter disposed.
Issues considered
- What direction, if any, can a High Court issue to a state scrutiny committee to expedite a pending tribe claim?
- Whether the urgency arising from admission to a professional institute justifies a time-bound order from the court?
Subjects
- tribal status
- caste certificate
- reservation
- writ petition
- direction
- urgency
- education
Judgment
2026:BHC-AUG:27623-DB
1 908-wp 7604-2026.odt
IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY
BENCH AT AURANGABAD
WRIT PETITION NO. 7604 OF 2026
Pravin Motesing Ghoti And Another .. Petitioners
Versus
The State Of Maharashtra
Through Secretary And Another .. Respondents
Mr. Deepak D. Choudhari, Advocate for Petitioners.
Smt. S. S. Joshi, AGP for Respondents-State.
CORAM : KISHORE C. SANT AND
AJIT B. KADETHANKAR, JJ.
DATE : 10th JULY, 2026.
PER COURT :-
1. Heard learned advocate for the petitioners and learned
A.G.P. for respondents.
2. A prayer in this petition is limited to the extent of issuing
directions to respondent No. 2 - committee to decide the tribe
claim of the petitioners which is pending since June 2025. The
urgency expressed is that the petitioner No. 2 is already given
admission to I.I.T. Bhuvaneshwar with an undertaking that the
petitioner would produce the caste validity certificate before
completion of admission process.
2 908-wp 7604-2026.odt
3. Considering above, this Court feels that, it is necessary to
issue directions to the scrutiny committee to decide the tribe claim
of the petitioners at the earliest. Therefore, the scrutiny
committee is requested to decide the tribe claim of the petitioners
at the earliest and in any case by the end of August 2026.
4. With this, the writ petition stands disposed of.
( AJIT B. KADETHANKAR, J.) ( KISHORE C. SANT, J. )
P.S.B.
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