CHOUHAN DEVANAND Vs. STATE OF TELANGANA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The Writ Appeal arises out of an order dtd. 29/10/2025 passed by a learned Single Judge of this Court dismissing the Writ Petition No.16607 of 2025 filed by the appellants herein and directing the District Legal Scrutiny Committee (DLSC), Adilabad to verify the social status of the appellant Nos.2 to 7 in accordance with law while ensuring due compliance with procedural safeguards.

(2.) The appellant Nos.1 to 7 i.e., the writ petitioners before the learned Single Judge prayed for a writ of Mandamus declaring the proceedings culminating in the order dtd. 28/5/2025 issued by the District Collector, Adilabad District, cancelling the Caste Certificates issued by the Tahsildar, Itchoda Mandal, Adilabad, in favour of the appellants as illegal and arbitrary.

(3.) By the impugned order, the learned Single Judge held that the appellants had failed to produce evidence of ST-Lambada status prior to 1950 and the DLSC correctly concluded that the Caste Certificates issued to the appellants were false. The learned Single Judge further held that the appellants' claim of belonging to the ST-Lambada community was primarily based on ancestral assertions, previous certificates, and purported letters from the All India Banjara Seva Sangh ('AIBSS') which were fabricated documents. It was also observed that the appellants' allegations of mala fide action, Political interference and violation of the principles of natural justice were unsubstantiated and that the appellants had also failed to demonstrate any legal or factual infirmity, arbitrariness or a violation of the principles of natural justice in the order dtd. 28/5/2025. The learned Single Judge accordingly dismissed the Writ Petition while granting liberty to the DLSC, Adilabad, to verify the social status of the appellant Nos.2 - 7 in accordance with law and upon due compliance with procedural safeguards.