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Judgment
O R A L J U D G M E N T : (Per Mrs. Urmila Joshi Phalke, J.)
Heard learned counsel for the respective parties.
Rule. Rule made returnable forthwith. Taken up for final disposal with the consent of learned counsel for the parties.
By this petition, petitioner is seeking direction to respondent No.3- the Joint Commissioner cum Vice Chairman, Scheduled Tribe Certificate Scrutiny Committee, Nagpur (for short, “the Scrutiny Committee”) to decide her caste claim as belonging to “Mana” Scheduled Tribe within a stipulated period. The petitioner has also challenged the decision dated 09.04.2026 taken by respondent Nos.4 -the Admissions Regulating Authority whereby admission granted to her against the Scheduled Tribe reserved category came to be cancelled.
On instructions learned Assistant Government Pleader appearing for respondent No.3 submits that the petitioner has already submitted a fresh proposal along with the requisite documents before the Scrutiny Committee and the Committee shall decide her caste claim as expeditiously as possible and, in any event, within a period of six months.
Learned counsel appearing for respondent Nos.1 and 2 submit that an inquiry was initiated upon suspicion that the petitioner had uploaded a caste validity certificate showing her as belonging to “Mana” Scheduled Tribe while seeking admission through the online portal of respondent No.2. It is submitted that respondent No.4 sought verification from the Scrutiny Committee regarding the authenticity of the said caste validity certificate, whereupon the Committee informed respondent Nos.2 and 4 that no such validity certificate had been issued by it and that the document relied upon by the petitioner was forged. It is further submitted that, on the directions of the Scrutiny Committee, the Vigilance Cell Officer lodged First Information Report No.9/2026, in which the petitioner has been arraigned as one of the accused and the investigation is presently pending. In view thereof, it is contended that the decision to cancel the petitioner’s admission was justified.
Having heard the learned counsel for the respective parties and upon prima facie consideration of the material placed on record, we find that the petitioner herself has been arraigned as an accused in the aforesaid First Information Report. There are specific allegations attributed to her. The allegations, at this stage, are prima-facie in nature.
Having regard to the nature of the allegations in the First Information Report and bearing in mind that the petitioner’s educational career and future prospects, we deem it appropriate to direct respondent No.3-Scrutiny Committee to decide the petitioner’s caste claim as expeditiously as possible and, in any event, within a period of six months from the date of receipt of a copy of this order.
Respondent Nos.1, 2 and 4 shall consider the petitioner’s admission and take an appropriate decision regarding continuation of her admission, subject to and depending upon the outcome of the proceedings before the Scrutiny Committee.
With the aforesaid directions, the writ petition stands disposed of.
Rule is made absolute in the above terms. No order as to costs.
Pending applications, if any, also stand disposed of.