1 IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY APPELLATE SIDE, BENCH AT AURANGABAD WRIT PETITION NO.4905 OF 2010 Najma Begum d/o Ahmed Miyan Qureshi, Age 24 years, Occupation Agriculture & social work, R/o Khatik Galli, Gangakhed, Tq. Gangakhed, District Parbhani. ... PETITIONER VERSUS 1. The State of Maharashtra, through its Secretary, Department of Urban Development, Municipal Council and Industrial Township, Mantralaya, Mumbai – 32. 2. The state Election Commission, through its Commissioner, State Election Commission, Mumbai. 3. The Divisional Caste Scrutiny Committee, Aurngabad Division, Aurangabad 4. The Collector, Parbhani, Taluka & District Parbhani. 5. The Returning Officer for the Election of Municipal Council, Gangakhed i.e. Tahsildar, Tq. Gangakhed, District Parbhani. (Copy for respondent Nos.1, 3 & 4 to be served on the Office of Government Pleader of High Court of Bombay, Bench at Aurangabad and copy of respondent No.2 to be served on Standing Counsel of State Election Commission for High Court of Bombay, Bench at Aurangabad. ... RESPONDENTS 2 ..... Shri S.K. Chavan, Advocate for the petitioner Mrs. A.V. Gondhalekar, A.G.P. for respondent Nos.1, 3 & 4 Shri S.T. Shelke, Advocate for respondent No.2. ..... CORAM: P.V. HARDAS & N.D. DESHPANDE, JJ. DATED: 21st July, 2010 ORAL JUDGMENT (PER 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. At the outset, Shri Chavan, learned counsel for the petitioner states on instructions that the petitioner does not press for the reliefs at prayer clauses (C) and (D) to the petition, but restricts the scope of this petition to the relief prayed for at prayer clause (E) to the petition only i.e. issuance of a writ directing the respondent Scrutiny Committee to accept the caste proposal for verification of the caste of the petitioner and to decide the same within the stipulated period. 3. In that light of the matter, therefore, this writ petition stands so far as it relates to the prayer clauses (C) and (D) to the petition. 4. The petitioner had forwarded his caste certificate to the 3 Collector, Parbhani for onward transmission to the respondent Scrutiny Committee for deciding the caste claim of the petitioner. In that light of the matter, therefore, we direct the Collector, Parbhani to forward the proposal of the petitioner to the respondent Scrutiny Committee, if not forwarded, within two weeks from today and further direct the petitioner to appear before the respondent Scrutiny Committee on 9th August 2010 and also direct the respondent Scrutiny Committee to decide the caste claim of the petitioner within six months of 9th August 2010. 5. Rule is thus made absolute on the above terms with no order as to costs. (N.D. DESHPANDE, J.) (P.V. HARDAS, J.)