In a landmark ruling, Justice Avinash Gharote and Justice M S Jawalkar at the Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court quashed the decision of the District Caste Certificate Scrutiny Committee (CSC), which had cancelled the caste validity certificate of Rashmi Barve, a Zilla Parishad Member from Nagpur. In a sharp rebuke, the Court imposed a fine of Rs one lakh on the CSC for its improper conduct. The Court declared that this penalty was meant to serve as a deterrent to ensure that in the future, the CSC would refrain from “dancing to the tune of someone else,” and instead adhere strictly to its statutory obligations. The Court’s ruling sends a strong message against the arbitrary actions of quasi-judicial bodies and warns against political interference in their functioning. Petitioner Rashmi Shyamkumar Barve (formerly Rina Somraj Sonekar) (37), a Zilla Parishad Member in Parseoni, Nagpur, filed a writ petition after the CSC revoked her caste validity certificate. Barve had earlier been validated by the CSC, which recognised her as belonging to the Scheduled Caste ‘Chambhar.’

 

However, the validity was later questioned and annulled by the CSC, spurred by political intervention and multiple complaints, primarily from respondent Sunil Salve. This decision also led to the cancellation of her ZP membership. The petitioner, through her counsel, argued that the caste validity certificate had already been thoroughly scrutinised and granted based on legitimate documentation. Barve’s legal team contended that once a caste certificate was validated under the Maharashtra Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Classes (Regulation of Issuance and Verification) Caste Certificate Act, 2000, it attains finality. The CSC had no authority to revoke this decision unless clear evidence of fraud was presented. Barve’s counsel stressed that the CSC had acted outside its jurisdiction by reopening the matter under external pressure and breached the mandate of law. The High Court noted several irregularities in the CSC’s handling of the case.

 

The judges observed that the Committee’s decision to revoke Barve’s caste validity certificate had been based on a directive from the Under Secretary of the State of Maharashtra, who had no authority to intervene in such a matter. Justice Gharote sharply criticised the CSC for failing to act independently and allowing external influence to dictate its actions. The Court further noted that complaints from respondents Sunil Salve and others had previously been dismissed by the CSC, yet another identical complaint was entertained without sufficient grounds which indicated a deliberate attempt to malign the petitioner. The quick and Contd on page 2