1 IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE OF BOMBAY BENCH AT NAGPUR Writ Petition No.6113/2011 Shri Sharad W. Gonnade Vs. Jt. Commissioner & Vice-Chairman , S.T. Certificate Scrutiny Committee and another. =-=-=---=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Office Notes, Office Memorandum of Coram appearances, Court's orders or directions & Registrar's orders. Court's or Judges Order =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Mr. Narnaware, Adv. for the petitioner. Mr. Sambre, Adv. for the respondent no.1. CORAM : D.D.SINHA & A.P. BHANGALE, JJ. DATED : 15/12/2011. Heard learned counsel for the petitioner and the learned counsel for respondent no.1. Learned counsel for the petitioner has submitted that the petitioner was appointed on the post of Forest Guard from the scheduled tribe category (Halba). The petitioner has submitted original caste certificate along with documents in support thereof on 20th July 2009 to respondent no.2, who, in turn, has forwarded the same to respondent no.1-Caste Scrutiny Committee for verification. It is submitted that the verification proceedings are pending before the Caste Scrutiny Committee. Respondent no.2 vide impugned communication dated 23.11.2011 called upon the petitioner to explain as to why his services should not be terminated since validity certificate is not submitted till this date. If the explanation is not satisfactory, his services will be terminated. Counsel for the petitioner has submitted that 2 since the verification proceedings are pending and since the decision is not taken by the Scrutiny Committee, it is impossible for the petitioner to submit validity certificate at this stage and, therefore, it has prayed that direction be given to the Caste Scrutiny Committee to decide the caste claim of the petitioner and till then the effect and operation of the impugned communication be stayed. On the backdrop of the above facts, it appears that the caste certificate along with documents submitted by the petitioner has been forwarded to the Scrutiny Committee for verification by respondent no.1. In these circumstances, we dispose of the petition with direction to respondent no.1 to decide the caste claim of the petitioner on its own merits and in accordance with law within a period of six months gfrom today. Till such time, impugned communication is suspended. JUDGE JUDGE Ambulkar.