Miss Gayatri Gaikwad's caste certificate was given back to her by the Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court after it was wrongfully taken away. The court found that the Scrutiny Committee acted beyond what it was allowed to do.
Gayatri Gaikwad, a 25-year-old student from Nagpur, fought against the cancellation of her caste certificate. Initially given to her on November 3, 2011, the certificate confirmed her status as a member of the 'Mahar' Scheduled Caste. However, in 2018, the District Caste Certificate Scrutiny Committee in Nagpur took it away and canceled it.
On February 2, 2026, Judges Nandesh S. Deshpande and M.S. Jawalkar made their decision. They looked into the actions of the Scrutiny Committee, which had taken Gayatri's certificate on November 30, 2018, after initially saying it was valid in 2017.
"The Scrutiny Committee doesn't have the power to change its own decisions," the court emphasized.
Gayatri's lawyer, Mr. Ananta Ramteke, argued that the Committee's decision was wrong because it only looked at her mother's documents. The Committee claimed the certificate was given by mistake, as there was no proof from her father's side.
The court mentioned a Supreme Court decision, which stated that the caste of a child from parents of different castes is based on facts, not just the father's side.
The court found that Gayatri had enough proof showing her mother's 'Mahar' caste status. It ruled that the Scrutiny Committee's actions were illegal, as it had no right to change or take away the certificate.
"The decision of the Scrutiny Committee in taking away the certificate cannot be justified by law," the judgment stated.
The court restored Gayatri's caste certificate and instructed the Scrutiny Committee to return it within four weeks. This decision confirmed Gayatri's caste status and showed the limits of the Scrutiny Committee's powers.
