1 IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY, BENCH AT AURANGABAD WRIT PETITION NO.5258 OF 2010 1. Vitthal s/o Bira Pawar, Age 48 years, Occu.Agri., 2. Tukaram s/o Ramla Pawar, Age 55 years, Occu.Agri., 3. Ganesh s/o Sitaram Pawar, Age 45 years, Occu.Agri., 4. Vimal w/o Tukaram Pawar, Age 45 years, Occu.Agri., 5. Savita w/o Vithal Pawar, Age 42 years, Occu.Agri., All r/o Daregaon, Taluka Aundha (Nagnath), District Hingoli .. PETITIONERS VERSUS 1. The Collector, Collector Office, Hingoli 2. The Caste Scrutiny Committee constituted for Verification of Caste Certificate of Other Backward through its Chairman, Divisional Caste Certificate Scrutiny Committee-III, Latur Division, Latur (3) State Election Commissioner, | Resp.No.3 and 4 Mantralaya, Madam Court Road, | deleted as per Mumbai 400 032 | Court’s leave dated | 18.6.2010 (4) Returning Officer/Tahsildar, | Tahsil Office, Aundha (Nagnath), | District Hingoli ..RESPONDENTS Mr.P.R.Katneshwarkar, Advocate for petitioners Mrs.A.V.Gondhalekar, Assistant Govt.Pleader for respondents 1 & 2 2 Respondents 3 and 4 deleted as per leave of the Court dated 18.6.2010 CORAM : P.V. HARDAS AND N.D. DESHPANDE, JJ DATE : 18 th June 2010 ORAL JUDGMENT (PER P.V.HARDAS, J.) 1. At the outset, Counsel for petitioners seeks to delete respondents 3 and 4. Leave granted at the risk of the petitioner. 2. Rule. Rule returnable forthwith. With the consent of learned Counsel for the parties, this petition is heard finally at the stage of admission. 3. The petitioners by this petition pray for issuance of a writ to the scrutiny committee to decide their caste claim expeditiously. 4. According to the petitioners the term of the Grampanchayat of Village Aundha (Nagnath) has come to an end and the elections to the panchayat are likely to be held some time in July 2010. The petitioners claim to be aspiring candidates in the said forthcoming elections and accordingly, their caste claims are said to be pending with the respondent – scrutiny committee since February 2010. 3 5. In that light of the matter, we are inclined to allow this petition. Mrs.A.V.Gondhalekar, learned Assistant Govt.Pleader states on instructions that the caste claims of the petitioners would be decided, in accordance with law, within four months from today. We accept the aforesaid statement as an undertaking to the Court. 6. Rule is thus made absolute on the statement made by learned Assistant Government Pleader that the caste claims of the petitioners would be decided within four months from today. In the circumstances, there will be no order as to costs. ( N.D.DESHPANDE ) ( P.V.HARDAS ) JUDGE JUDGE (vvr/5258.10wp)