/ 1/ IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION WRIT PETITION NO.5880 OF 2007 ALONGWITH CIVIL APPLICATION NO.524 OF 2008 IN WRIT PETITION NO.5880 OF 2007 Ravikiran Vishnupant Ingawale ...Petitioner V/s. The State of Maharashtra & Ors. ..Respondents Mr.R.P. Walvekar for Petitioner. Mr.C.R. Sonawane AGP for Respondents. CORAM : D.K. DESHMUKH & V.M. KANADE, JJ. DATED : 14th FEBRUARY, 2008 P.C.:- 1. Leave to amend. 2. Rule returnable forthwith. Heard finally by consent of the parties. 3. By this petition, the petitioner challenges the order dated 14/08/2007 passed by the Caste Scrutiny Committee holding that the caste certificate submitted by the petitioner, certifying that he belongs to 'Kunbi' caste which is included in the list of other backward class, is invalid. The principal ground of challenge is that the Caste Scrutiny Committee consists of three members, / 2/ one Chairman and two members but the impugned order is signed by two members only. Though the Chairman participated in the proceedings, he has not signed the order. As the Caste Scrutiny Committee consists of three members, in order that the order can be said to be a valid order, it must be signed by all the three members of the Committee. As the Chairman has not signed the order, in our opinion, it would be appropriate to set aside the order and remand the matter back to the Caste Scrutiny Committee for de novo hearing and decision in accordance with law. 4. In the result, therefore, present petition succeeds and order passed by the Caste Scrutiny Committee is set aside. Matter is remanded back to the Caste Scrutiny Committee for de novo hearing and decision in accordance with law. Rule is made absolute in the above terms accordingly. There shall be no order as to costs. 5. In view of disposal of petition, nothing survives in the civil application. Civil application is disposed of accordingly. ( D.K. DESHMUKH, J.) (V.M. KANADE, J.) / 3/