JUDGMENT :

Sunil B. Shukre, J.

1. Heard.

2. Rule. Rule is made returnable forthwith by consent of the parties.

3. This is the second time that the petitioner is required to approach this Court questioning the legality and correctness of the order of invalidation of the caste certificate passed by the respondent no.2 - Scrutiny Committee at Thane. Previously, the respondent no.2 had invalidated the caste certificate of the petitioner and that order was challenged by the petitioner by filing Writ Petition No. 10568 of 2014. It was then found by this Court that the Scrutiny Committee refused to accord the evidentiary value to the validity certificate granted to Kailash Devidas Tayade, cousin of the petitioner from the paternal side, that it deserved in law.

4. It may be stated here that caste or tribe validity certificate granted to any person is a conclusive proof of the social status of that person and it confirms the genuineness of the social status, whether caste or tribe, claimed by that person. A document which stands as a conclusive proof for one person would also stand as a conclusive proof of the social status of another person, if such other person is a paternal relative of the f