-1- IN IN IN THE THE THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY CIVIL CIVIL CIVIL APPELLATE APPELLATE APPELLATE JURISDICTION JURISDICTION JURISDICTION WRIT WRIT WRIT PETITION PETITION PETITION NO.5155 OF 2007 NO.5155 OF 2007 NO.5155 OF 2007 Suryakant Bandu Sungar ...Petitioner v/s The State of Maharashtra and ors. ...Respondents Mr R.K. Mendadkar and Mr H.Y. Mandlik for Petitioner. Mr C.R. Sonawane, AGP for Respondents. CORAM : D.K. DESHMUKH AND V.M. KANADE JJ. DATE : 14TH JANUARY 2008. -2- P.C. :- 1. By this petition, the petitioner challenges the order passed by the Sub-Divisional Officer, Kolhapur declining to issue caste certificate in favour of the petitioner and also the order of the Appellate Authority confirming the order of the Sub-Divisional Officer, Kolhapur. There is no dispute that not a single document relating to pre-constitutional period was produced except an entry made by Panjikars that the petitioner belongs to Mahadev Koli caste. It is also an admitted position that so far as the school record of the petitioner’s father is concerned, it belongs to the year 1953 and it shows that the father of the petitioner is Koli by caste. The learned counsel appearing for petitioner, relying on the judgment of the Supreme Court in the case of Sitaji v/s Bijendra Narain Choudhary, reported in AIR 1954 SC 601, submits that the record maintained by the Panjikars is reliable. In our opinion, the record of Panjikars on which the petitioner is relying cannot be termed as ’reliable’ because it shows an entry contrary to the school record of the petitioner’s father. Had the forefathers of the petitioner been really describing themselves as belonging to Mahadev Koli, Scheduled Tribe, in the -3- school record the caste of the petitioner’s father would not be mentioned as Koli. In our opinion, the school record of the petitioner’s father cannot be ignored only because some different entry has been made Panjikars. Petition has no substance. It is rejected. . Parties to act on the copy of this order duly authenticated by the Sheristedar / Private Secretary of the Court. . Certified copy expedited. ( D.K. DESHMUKH J.) ( V.M. KANADE J.)