Order :

(Sanjay K. Agrawal, J.)

1. Invoking the extraordinary jurisdiction of this Court under Article 226 of the Constitution of India, the petitioner herein calls in question legality, validity and correctness of order dated 17.08.2015 (Annexure P/1) passed by the High Power Certification Scrutiny Committee constituted under Section 7(1) of the Chhattisgarh Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes (Regulation of Social Status Certification) Act, 2013 (herein after to be referred to as the “Act, 2013” for brevity) read with notification dated 22.08.2013, by which the petitioners’ caste certificate has been invalidated/revoked.

2. The aforesaid challenge has been made on the following factual backdrop: -

2.1 The petitioner was appointed as ‘Peon’ in the office of the Advocate General on 18.07.2005 (Annexure P/2). Thereafter, on the basis of a complaint made against the petitioner, the petitioner was served with a show cause notice by the Scrutiny Committee on 04.07.2014 (Annexure P/12), to which he submitted his response on 21.07.2014 (Annexure P/13). Thereafter, the impugned order dated 17.08.2015 was passed by the Scrutiny Committee consisting of a Chairman and