SHRIPAD GANPAT UGHADE Vs. STATE OF MAHARASHTRA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) By this common judgment, we shall dispose of these three writ petitions which involve identical question of facts and law.

(2.) The Petitioners - Shripad and Ganpat are son and father respectively, and claimed to be members of Other Backward Class category being "Kulwant Wani".

(3.) The Petitioner - Ganpat contested election of Village Panchayat, Tandulwadi from reserved category on the basis of the caste certificate issued to him showing that he belongs to sub-caste "Kulwant Wani" which is included in the category of Other Backward Class. He was elected as a Sarpanch. His caste certificate was subjected to scrutiny by the Caste Scrutiny Committee, Pune. By the impugned order dated 23rd December, 2002 the Caste Scrutiny Committee invalidated the caste certificate of the Petitioner - Ganpat and held that he belongs to only "Wani" caste and not to sub-caste "Kulwant Wani". He is, therefore, not a member of Other Backward Class. He seeks to assail said impugned decision through his writ petition (Writ Petition No. 581 of 2003). Similar prayer is made by his son - Shripad in Writ Petition No. 2284 of 2002.