1 IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION WRIT PETITION NO.704 OF 2008 Vijaykumar Ramchandra Hedaoo. ...Petitioner. vs. 1.The State of Maharashtra & Ors. ...Respondents. --- Mr.R.K.Mendadkar, for Petitioner. Mr.V.A.Gangal, Special Counsel @ Mr.S.S.Deshmukh, Mr.Ashok Gade & Mr.C.R.Sonawane, AGP for Respondents. CORAM: D.K.DESHMUKH & K.K.TATED, JJ. DATED: 5th December,2009 P.C.:- 1. By this petition, the petitioner challenges the order of the Scrutiny Committee dated 18.8.2007 2 holding that the claim of the petitioner that he belongs to Halba Scheduled Tribe is invalid. The claim of the petitioner has been rejected mainly applying the affinity test. 2. So far as this Court is concerned, the law is now settled by the judgment of the Full Bench in the case Shilpa Vishnu Thakur Vs. State of Maharashtra & ors., 2009(3) Bom.C.R. 497 that the affinity test can be applied by the Scrutiny Committee. The order is made by the Scrutiny committee which has been constituted by the Government pursuant to the directions issued by the Supreme Court. It consists of the persons who are experts in the field. They have in detail considered the information that is necessary to establish the affinity. Therefore, so far as the merit of the controversy is concerned we will not be justified in interfering with the conclusion reached by the Scrutiny committee. The interference of this Court in the order of the Scrutiny committee should be restricted only where the Court finds that there was infraction of principles of natural justice in 3 decision making process. We do not find any substance in the petition. The petition is, therefore, rejected. (D.K.DESHMUKH, J.) (K.K.TATED, J.)