SANJAY KUMAR GUPTA Vs. STATE OF BIHAR

JUDGEMENT

(1.) After hearing the counsel for the parties on 9th August, 2005 I had dictated an order in the open Court and thereby proposed to dispose of the writ petition. I found that a Scheduled Tribe certificate was issued in favour of the petitioner showing that the petitioner belongs to 'Goad' community, and after the petitioner obtained such certificate and when genuineness of that certificate was sought to be verified, apart from verifying whether the same had been issued by an appropriate authority, an attempt was made to enquire into the contents of the said certificate, and that too, on the basis of a report purported to have been furnished by the Sahayak to the Gram Panchayat within whose jurisdiction the petitioner resides, and that when the petitioner brought to the notice of the appropriate authority that the Gram Panchayat itself has resolved that the petitioner belongs to Goad community the same was not taken into account and accordingly the certificate issued in favour of the petitioner was cancelled.

(2.) I felt that the same was not proper for there was no dispute that a competent authority i.e. Sub-Divisional Officer had issued the certificate and it was not pointed out that the certificate was issued by the Sub-Divisional Officer mala fide. In such event, I felt that it would be appropriate to remit the matter back to the Sub-Divisional Officer once again with a direction upon him to reconsider the issue, and if he finds that the petitioner does not belong to 'Goad' community to report the matter to the District Magistrate with a direction upon the District Magistrate to initiate appropriate departmental proceedings against that Sub-Divisional Officer, who had issued the original certificate showing that the petitioner belongs to 'Goad' community. However, while correcting the order, it transpired to me that while the petitioner claimed to be belonging to 'Goad' community and a certificate was also issued in favour of the petitioner recognizing that he belongs to 'Goad' community, it was incorrectly shown in the certificate that the petitioner belongs to Scheduled Tribe community. That was an error of records.

(3.) A community known as 'Gond' community existing in the State of Bihar belongs to Scheduled Tribe. An attempt was made by the State of Bihar to equate 'Goad' and Gonr' communities with that of 'Gond' community. The Central Government rejected the said proposal of the State Government.