NAFR RJAATGHVENDRADsRJA iA igg T nG iteH adl V by EyNDRA HIGH COURT OF CHHATTISGARH AT BILASPUR WPC No. 4154 of 2019

1 - Smt. Vidya Gonnade (Dekate) W/o. Shri Pundlik Dekate Aged About 57 Years Occupation Service, Working As Administrative Officer, Life Insurance Corporation Of India, Raipur Road, Mahasamund, Chhattisgarh., District : Mahasamund, Chhattisgarh.

... Petitioner(s)

versus

1 - Union Of India Through Secretary, Ministry Of Home Affairs, Department Of Personal And Training, Government Of India, North Block, New Delhi, 110001.

2 - Life Insurance Corporation Of India Through Its Chairman, Jeevan Bima Marg, Nariman Point, Mumbai, Maharashtra, 400021.

3 - State Of Chhattisgarh Through Secretary, Government Of Chhattisgarh, General Administration Department, Mahanadi Bhawan, Atal Nagar, Nava Raipur, Chhattisgarh, 492002, District : Raipur, Chhattisgarh.

4 - Manager Personal And Industrial Relations, Life Insurence Corporation Of India, Divisional Office, 'jeevan Prakash' Jeevan Bima Marg, Post Box No. 10, Pandri, Raipur, District Raipur, Chhattisgarh., District : Raipur, Chhattisgarh.

5 - High Power Certification Scrutiny Commitee Through Its Member Secretary- Cum-Director, Office Of Commissioner, Scheduled Castes And Scheduled Tribe Development, Block 4d, Ground Floor, Indravati Bhawan, Atal Nagar, Raipur, Chhattisgarh., District : Raipur, Chhattisgarh.

... Respondent(s)

Hon’ble Mr. Justice Amitendra Kishore Prasad

Order on Board

11/03/2026

1. By way of this petition, the petitioner has prayed for following reliefs:-

“10.1 Call for the entire records from the possession of respondents, especially Respondent No.5 for kind perusal of this Hon'ble Court.

10.2 This Hon'ble Court be pleased to quash the impugned order dated 23/08/2019 (Annexure P-1) by issuing a writ in the nature of certiorari.

10.3 This Hon'ble Court be pleased to pass such other orders as it may deem fit under the facts and circumstances of the case, in favour of the petitioner against the respondents.

10.4 This Hon'ble Court be pleased to award costs of the proceedings.”

2. Brief facts of the case, is that, the petitioner is a native of Pawani, situated in District Bhandara, which formed part of the erstwhile Central Provinces and Berar as on 06.09.1950. She completed her Bachelor of Arts degree in the year 1982 and, thereafter, in 1989, was duly selected through a properly conducted selection process for appointment as an Assistant in the Life Insurance Corporation of India. Subsequently, with due permission from her employer, she pursued and successfully completed her LL.B. degree in the year 1994. At present, she is serving as an Administrative Officer in the Life Insurance Corporation at Mahasamund. The petitioner genuinely belongs to the “Halba” community, which is recognized as a Scheduled Tribe under the Presidential Order of 1950 applicable to the erstwhile Central Provinces and Berar, including District Bhandara (now in the State of Maharashtra) as well as Raipur (now in the State of Chhattisgarh). In recognition of her caste status, a valid caste certificate was issued to her by the Collector, Raipur on 20.03.1977. Since the petitioner belongs to the Halba community originating from District Bhandara, which was part of the Central Provinces and Berar as on the cut-off date of 06.09.1950, Respondent No. 5, namely the Chhattisgarh High Power Certification Scrutiny Committee, lacked the jurisdiction to inquire into or adjudicate upon the validity of her caste certificate, particularly when the petitioner is not originally a resident of the State of Chhattisgarh. Nevertheless, acting upon a purported complaint made by an unrelated and interested third party, namely the Chhattisgarh Adivasi Vikas Parishad, the said Committee initiated an inquiry which failed to arrive at any conclusive determination regarding the petitioner’s caste status. Despite the absence of any definitive finding, the Committee proceeded to cancel the caste certificate dated 20.03.1977 solely