ORDER

Per: Justice M.G. Sewlikar, Member (J)

By this application under Section 19 of the Administrative Tribunals Act, applicant is assailing Charge Memorandum dated 26^th December, 2023 and direction to the respondents to release her retiral benefits.

2. Facts in nutshell are that the applicant was appointed as Inspector in the Department of Central Excise on 13^th September, 1988. At the time of joining the department, she had furnished a caste certificate issued by the Additional Chief Metropolitan, Magistrate, Dadar, Mumbai, in which it is stated that she belongs to Scheduled Tribe i.e. Hindu Mahadeo Koli. This certificate (Annexure- A-4) was issued to the applicant on 06^th August, 1980.

2.1 According to her averments, at the time of applying to the Staff Selection Commission in 1987, the Maharashtra Verification of Caste Certificate Act, 2000 (Maharashtra Act, 2000) was not in force and there was no requirement in the Central Government to get her caste certificate validated from the Caste Scrutiny Committee.

2.2 In the year 1987-88, the only requirement was that the caste certificate should be issued by the competent authority. The Maharashtra Act of 2000 came into force on 23^rd May