Bombay High Court

MUNDEWADI GAJALA AJAJ AHMEDversusTHE DIVISIONAL CASTE CERTIFICATE AND ORS.

Disposal: Disposed Off

Holding

The writ petition was dismissed for want of prosecution as the petitioner failed to cooperate with counsel.

Summary

The petitioner, Mundewadi Gajala Ajaj Ahmed, filed a writ petition challenging the order of the Caste Scrutiny Committee dated 29 June 2015, which rejected her claim of belonging to the OBC category "Julaha" for admission to a pharmacy course. The committee found that the entry of "Julaha" in her caste certificate was made after the due date and was not reflected in her father's school records. The petitioner’s counsel reported that the petitioner was unresponsive and had not provided instructions to continue the litigation. The court observed that the petitioner appeared to have lost interest in pursuing the petition. Consequently, the writ petition was dismissed for want of prosecution, and the pending civil/interim applications were also disposed of.

Issues considered

What is the validity of the Caste Scrutiny Committee's order rejecting the petitioner’s OBC claim?
Whether the writ petition can proceed in the absence of the petitioner’s instructions to counsel?

Subjects

OBC
Caste certificate
Writ petition
Want of prosecution
Admission eligibility
Caste Scrutiny Committee

Judgment

20-9357-15-wp.doc

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY
CIRCUIT BENCH AT KOLHAPUR
CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION
WRIT PETITION NO. 9357 OF 2015
WITH
CIVIL APPLICATION IN WP NO. 787 OF 2018
IN
WRIT PETITION NO. 9357 OF 2015

Mundewadi Gajala Ajaj Ahmed ....Petitioner
Vs.
The Divisional Caste Certificate & Ors. ....Respondents

Mr. Shivaji Kokare i/b Mr. Vishwanath Talkute, advocate for the
Petitioner
Mr. Ravi P. Kadam, ‘B’ Panel counsel for Respondent Nos.1, 3 and 5.

CORAM : RAJESH S. PATIL, &
ABHAY J. MANTRI, JJ.
DATE : 24 AUGUST 2026

P. C. :

1. Mr. Shivaji Kokare, learned Advocate for the Petitioner submits

IRESH
that his client is not responding to the calls made by his office;
MASHAL

Digitally
therefore, he has no instructions to argue the present Writ Petition.
signed by
IRESH
MASHAL
Date:
2026.08.24
18:56:05
+0530
2. By the present Writ Petition, the Petitioner challenges the

order passed by the Caste Scrutiny Committee on 29 June 2015.

3. Since there are no instructions from the Petitioner to her

Advocate to conduct the present Writ Petition, it seems that she has

1 of 2
Iresh
20-9357-15-wp.doc

lost interest in pursuing the Writ Petition any further.

4. The Petitioner had claimed belonging to the OBC category

from the caste "Julaha", which is in the OBC-57 notified category

and had taken the benefit of the same for seeking admission in

Respondent No. 2 – College for the B. Pharmacy course, which is a

four-year course.

5. The Vigilance Cell/Committee had conducted an

inquiry/survey on 29 June 2015, whereby her claim was rejected as

the entry of "Julaha" in the certificate was after the due date and did

not find place in the school record of the father of the Petitioner.

6. In view of the above, the Writ Petition stands dismissed for

want of prosecution.

7. In sequel, the pending Civil/Interim Applications also stand

disposed of.

[ABHAY J. MANTRI, J.] [RAJESH S. PATIL, J.]

2 of 2

Continue reading with your account

Checking your session…