Remand of Caste Claim for Re-Evaluating Affinity Tests and Blood Relative Validity Certificates

sketch of the Bombay High Court
Case
CHETAN SATISCHANDRA THAKUR v. 1. THE STATE OF MAHARASHTRA, THROUGH ITS SECRETARY, TRIBAL DEVELOPMENT, DEPARTMENT, MANTRALAYA. (Bombay High Court, 08-10-2026)
Law
Maharashtra Scheduled Castes Scheduled Tribes De-notified Tribes (Vimukta Jatis) Nomadic Tribes Other Backward Classes & Special Backward Category (Regulation of Issuance and Verification of) Caste Certificate Act.

Highlights of the Judgment:

  • Examination of caste claim invalidation based exclusively on the affinity test under tribal verification laws.
  • Application of Supreme Court rulings regarding the limited evidentiary weight of affinity tests.
  • Evaluation of the legal relevance of caste validity certificates previously issued to blood relatives.
  • Necessity of establishing accurate genealogy and family tree linkages to claim parity with relatives.
  • Procedural directives for remanding matters to the Scrutiny Committee for fresh verification of relationships.