2026:BHC-AS:798-DB IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY Digitally signed CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION URMILA b P y R A U M RM OD ILA PRAMOD INGALE INGALE D 20 a 2 te 6 : .01.09

13:09:32 +0530 WRIT PETITION NO. 1699 OF 2021 Sandesh Nanaji Gangurde … Petitioner V/s.

State of Maharashtra and ors. … Respondents Mr. R.K. Mendadkar a/w Mr. Siddhant Sawai, Ms. Prajakta Pashte, for the Petitioner.

Mr. N.C. Walimbe, Add. GP a/w Mr. Ketan Joshi ‘B’ Panel, for the Respondent-State.

CORAM : M.S. KARNIK AND S.M.MODAK, JJ.

DATE : 8^th JANUARY 2026 ORAL ORDER (M.S.KARNIK, J.) :-

1. Heard Mr. Mendadkar, learned counsel for the Petitioner and Mr.

Walimbe, learned Addl. GP appearing for the Respondent-State.

2. Mr. Walimbe learned Addl. GP vehemently opposes the Petition.

3. The challenge in this Petition is to the invalidation of the caste claim of the Petitioner as belonging to ‘Koli Mahadev, Scheduled Tribe’. Inviting our attention to the impugned order, which according to learned AGP is a well reasoned order, it is submitted that Caste Validity Certificate of the Petitioner’s father which is at page no. 48 of the paper-book and that of the Petitioner’s blood brother which is at page 49 of the paper-b