1 IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY, BENCH AT AURANGABAD WRIT PETITION NO.3586 OF 2010 Sow.Parvtibai w/o Pandurang Khade, Age 42 years, Occu.Member, Mauje Charthana Grampanchayat, Taluka Jintur, District Parbhani R/o 326, Charthana, Post Charthana, Taluka Jintur, District Parbhani .. PETITIONER VERSUS 1. The State of Maharashtra, Through Secretary, Ministry of Social Welfare & Culture, Mantralaya, Mumbai 400 032 2. The Divisional Caste Certificate Verification Committee, Aurangabad Division, Aurangabad ..RESPONDENTS Mr.M.R.Kulkarni, Advocate for petitioner Mr.K.G.Patil, Assistant Govt.Pleader for respondents CORAM : P.V. HARDAS AND S.V.GANGAPURWALA, JJ DATE : 28th April, 2010 ORAL JUDGMENT (PER P.V.HARDAS, J.) 1. Rule. Rule returnable forthwith. With the consent of learned Counsel for the parties, this petition is heard finally at the stage of admission. 2. This petition under Article 226 of the Constitution of India, filed by the petitioner, prays for issuance of a writ directing respondent No.2 to decide the caste claim of the petitioner which was forwarded by the District Collector on 12.1.2007. 2 3. In the light of the limited relief which the petitioner has sought for in this petition, we deem it appropriate to decide this petition finally at this stage. The petitioner, it appears has evinced interest in contesting the elections scheduled to be held in August 2010. The anxiety of the petitioner, therefore, is that the caste claim of the petitioner should be decided by the scrutiny committee before the elections are declared so as to enable the petitioner to submit her nomination. In that light of the matter and in the light of the fact that the claim has been pending since the year 2007, we allow this petition and direct the petitioner to appear before the respondent – scrutiny committee on 10th May 2010 and further direct the scrutiny committee to decide the caste claim of the petitioner within three months of 10th May 2010. 4. Rule is thus made absolute on the above terms with no order as to costs. ( S.V.GANGAPURWALA ) ( P.V.HARDAS ) JUDGE JUDGE (vvr/3586.10wp)