Summary: Surekha Dinkar Thakar wins her case in the Bombay High Court, securing her caste validity certificate after a long legal battle.
On January 14, 2026, the Bombay High Court, with Judges M.S. Karnik and S.M. Modak, made a decision on a case brought by Surekha Dinkar Thakar, also known as Sharada Subhash Shivankar. Her claim to be part of the 'Thakar, Scheduled Tribe' was initially turned down by the Scrutiny Committee.
Surekha's case was made stronger by her family connections. Her first cousin, Pramod Sadashiv Thakar, had already received a caste validity certificate. The court pointed out that there shouldn't be differences in caste recognition among family members.
"The petitioner's claim that she belongs to Kanjar Bhat- Nomadic Tribe should have been accepted by the Committee just because her sister's similar claim...," the court mentioned, referring to a similar situation.
The court relied on an earlier Supreme Court case, Maharashtra Adiwasi Thakur Jamat Swarakshan Samiti vs. State of Maharashtra, highlighting that caste validity certificates given to family members should be trusted unless proven wrong.
The court found the Scrutiny Committee's rejection to be without reason, given the evidence and family connections. The judges instructed the Scrutiny Committee to give the caste validity certificate to Surekha within six weeks.
"We have no doubt in granting the current Petition," the judges said.
Surekha can now enjoy all the benefits that come with her caste status. The court also mentioned that if any problems come up with Pramod's certificate, the committee can look into it further.
