1 IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY APPELLATE SIDE, BENCH AT AURANGABAD WRIT PETITION NO.4882 OF 2010 Balaji Dattatraya Dahe, Age 19 years, Occupation Student, R/o N-2 J2/2, CIDCO, Mukundwadi, Aurangabad. ... PETITIONER VERSUS 1. The State of Maharashtra, through its Secretary, Tribal Development Department, Mantralaya, Mumbai. 2. Scheduled Castes, Vimukta Jatis, Nomadic Tribe, Other Backward Classes and Special Backward Category Classes Divisional Caste Certificates Scrutiny Aurangabad Committee No.3, Latur. 3. The Sub-Divisional Officer, Aurangabad (Respondent Nos.1, 2 and 3 to be served through the Government Pleader, High Court of Bombay, Bench at Aurangabad). ... RESPONDENTS ..... Shri A.S. Bayas, Advocate for the petitioner Shri S.K. Tambe, A.G.P. for respondents ..... CORAM: P.V. HARDAS & N.D. DESHPANDE, JJ. DATED: 6th August, 2010 ORAL JUDGMENT (PER P.V. HARDAS, J.): 1. Rule. Rule made returnable forthwith. With the consent 2 of learned counsel for the parties, this petition is heard finally at the stage of admission. 2. By this petition under Article 226 of the Constitution of India, the petitioner prays for issuance of a writ directing the respondents to decide the appeal filed by the petitioner on 13.4.2009. 3. The application of the petitioner for issuance of a caste certificate as belonging to Rajput Bhamta came to be rejected by the Sub-Divisional Officer, Aurangabad vide order dated 26.2.2009. The petitioner, accordingly, challenged the said order by filing an appeal before the respondent/ Scrutiny Committee on 13.4.2009. The grievance of the petitioner, and which is legitimate, is that, the appeal has been pending for nearly one and a half year and the respondent/ Scrutiny Committee has not decided the appeal. 4. We, therefore, allow this petition and direct the petitioner to appear before the respondent/ Scrutiny Committee on 16th August 2010 and direct the respondent/ Scrutiny Committee to decide the appeal of the petitioner within three weeks of 16th August 2010. Rule is made absolute on the above terms with no order as to costs. (N.D. DESHPANDE, J.) (P.V. HARDAS, J.)