ANJANA C. Vs. STATE OF KERALA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The captioned writ petitions are materially connected in respect of enquiry conducted by the Kerala Institute for Research Training and Development Studies for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (KIRTADS) under the provisions of the Kerala (Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes) Regulation of Issue of Community Certificates Act, 1996, report submitted, and consequential order passed by the Screening Committee vis-a-vis MBBS admission under KEAM Prospectus-2019. Therefore, I heard them together and propose to deliver this common judgment.

(2.) Petitioner in W.P.(C) No. 19215 of 2019 seeks to quash, Exts. P7 proceedings of the Screening Committee dated 25.06.2018, on the basis of the report of the KIRTADS, holding that petitioner is not entitled to get admission in the Scheduled Caste quota, Ext. P8 report of the KIRTADS dated 16.06.2018, whereby it was reported that petitioner cannot be considered as a member of Puthirai Vannan community, a Scheduled Caste, and Ext. P26 order of the Screening Committee dated 04.07.2019, affirming the report of the KIRTADS, on the basis of the admission sought for by the petitioner in accordance with KEAM Prospectus-2019. In fact, Ext. P26 order was challenged by the petitioner before the Scrutiny Committee under the provisions of Act, 1996, which was dismissed, however, the same was passed without affording an opportunity to the petitioner, which order is under challenge in W.P.(C) No. 20509 of 2019.

(3.) On 07.08.2019, when that writ petition was taken up for hearing, it was intimated by learned Special Government Pleader that, since the Scrutiny Committee has passed the order without hearing the petitioner, the Scrutiny Committee has decided to provide a re-hearing to the petitioner and the same stands posted to 14.08.2019. Accordingly, an interim order was passed in the aforesaid writ petition, permitting the petitioner to participate in the hearing, pending disposal of the said writ petition.