JUDGMENT :

GAURI GODSE J.

1. Rule. Learned AGP waives service for Respondent Nos. 1 to 4. Mr Deshmukh waives service for Respondent No. 5. Rule is made returnable forthwith. The petition is taken up for final disposal.

2. This Writ Petition is filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India for issuance of Writ of Certiorari, thereby quashing and setting aside the Order dated 7th February 2023 passed by District Caste Certificate Scrutiny Committee, Pune (“Respondent No.2”). By the impugned Order, the claim of the Petitioner of belonging to the “Kunbi” caste is disallowed, and the caste certificate issued to the Petitioner is declared invalid.

3. It is the Petitioner’s case that he belongs to the ‘Kunbi’ caste, which is recognized as the Other Backward Class (“OBC”) in the State of Maharashtra. Hence, he was issued a caste certificate on 18th December 2020 by the Sub-Divisional- Officer, Maval Mulshi sub-division, district Pune. Based on the caste certificate issued to the Petitioner, he had contested the election from Ward No. 4, Gram Panchayat Kasar Amboli, Taluka Mulshi, District Pune, which was reserved for OBC. Petitioner won the election and was elected as a member of the Gr