1 IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY APPELLATE SIDE, BENCH AT AURANGABAD WRIT PETITION NO.8025 OF 2010 Swapnil s/o Aba Thakur Age 23 years, Occ. Education, R/o Vinayak Nagar, Samta Colony, Nagar-Pune Road, Ahmednagar, District Ahmednagar. ... PETITIONER VERSUS The Chairman, Caste Certificate Scrutiny Committee, Nashik Division, Central Administrative Building, Nashik Road, Nashik. ... RESPONDENT ..... Shri K.S. Bhore, Advocate for the petitioner Shri R.P. Phatke, Special Counsel for the respondent ..... CORAM: R.S. MOHITE & SHRIHARI P. DAVARE, JJ. DATED: 8th September, 2010 ORAL JUDGMENT (PER SHRIHARI P. DAVARE, J.): 1. Rule. Rule made returnable forthwith. With the consent of learned counsel for the parties, this petition heard finally at the stage of admission. 2. By the present petition filed by the petitioner under Article 226 of the Constitution of India, the petitioner has prayed for writ of 2 mandamus directing the respondent Committee to decide the claim of the petitioner within a period of 10 days from the date of passing order and also prayed for the cost of Rs.50,000/- from the Committee to the petitioner for failure to discharge its statutory obligations. 3. It is the contention of the petitioner that, when he was studying in 12th Standard, the proposal for verification of his caste claim was forwarded to the respondent Committee on 1.11.2004, since the petitioner belongs to Thakur Caste which has been notified as Scheduled Tribe. It is also the contention of the petitioner that the Vigilance Cell also submitted its report to the respondent Committee on 20.8.2008. Moreover, the petitioner also filed his say upon the said report of Vigilance Cell on 13.1.2010. It is the contention of the petitioner that now he is studying in B. Pharmacy Degree Course and inaction on the part of the respondent Committee will damage the academic career of the petitioner. Hence, the petitioner has filed the present petition for directions to the respondent Committee as mentioned hereinabove. 4. Heard learned counsel for the parties. 5. Mr. Phatke, learned Special Counsel for the respondent Committee, on instructions made statemnet that the verification of the caste claim of the petitioner shall be decided within a period of three 3 months from today and the said statement is accepted and taken on record. 6. In view of the said statement and its acceptance, present petition is disposed of. Rule made absolute in aforesaid terms. 7. Parties to act on the authenticated copy of this judgment, duly signed by the Sheristedar. (SHRIHARI P. DAVARE, J.) (R.S. MOHITE, J.)