2026:BHC-AS:2427-DB IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY Digitally signed URMILA b P y R A U M RM OD ILA CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION PRAMOD INGALE Date:

INGALE 2

1 0 9 2 :1 6 3 .0 :5 1 4 .19 +0530 WRIT PETITION NO. 11071 OF 2023 Bhushan Rajendra More … Petitioner Versus State of Maharashtra and anr. .… Respondents ****

Mr. R.K. Mendadkar a/w Adv. Prajakta Pashte, for the Petitioner.

Ms. Rupali Shinde, AGP for the Respondents No. 1 & 2-State.

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CORAM : M.S.KARNIK &

S.M.MODAK, JJ.

DATE : 19^th JANUARY, 2026 ORAL JUDGMENT (PER M.S. KARNIK, J.) :

1. Heard learned counsel for the Petitioner and learned AGP appearing for the Respondent-State. The caste claim of the Petitioner as belonging to the ‘Koli Mahadev, Scheduled Tribe’ has been invalidated by the Scrutiny Committee. Inviting our attention to the impugned order, learned AGP in support of the impugned order submitted that the Scrutiny Committee has for cogent reasons invalidated the caste claim of the Petitioner. Learned counsel for the Petitioner in support of the caste claim submitted that the Scrutiny Committee was not justified in discarding the caste validity certificate issued to the Petitioner’s father on

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