JUDGMENT

G.A. Sanai, J. - Rule.

2 Rule made returnable forthwith. Heard finally, by consent of the parties.

3 In this Petition, the Petitioner has challenged the order dated 8th December, 2020 passed by Respondent No.2-Scheduled Tribe Certificate Scrutiny Committee, Nashik Division, Nashik invalidating the caste certificate of the Petitioner as belonging to Thakur Scheduled Tribe.

4 It is the case of the Petitioner that she belongs to Thakur, Scheduled Tribe by birth. The Competent Authority issued a caste certificate of Thakur, Scheduled Tribe to her on 4th August, 2019. The Petitioner is a student. The Petitioner, therefore, applied to the Respondent No.2 on 23rd September, 2019 seeking verification of her caste certificate. The Petitioner was required to submit the validity certificate as a condition precedent for prosecuting studies under the reserved category i.e. scheduled tribe. The Petitioner submitted number of documents including two pre-constitution period documents and caste validity certificate issued to Sachin Nana Shinde, a real uncle. The Petitioner participated in the hearing of the proceeding conducted by the Respondent No.2. According to Petitioner, without consideri