Court imposes Rs 50,000 fine on caste panel

Mumbai: The Bombay high court imposed a Rs 50,000 penalty on the caste scrutiny committee of the state government for not providing a caste certificate of an engineering student in a time-bound manner as a result of which the student’s future could be jeopardised.

A division bench of Justice S.C. Dharmadhikari and Justice Bharti Dangre, which was hearing a petition, has asked student to pay fees as per the open category and claim it back once his caste certificate is verified so that his year is not wasted. The court further directed the university to release mark sheets and documents that the student would require to gain admission in the future.

The court noted that in 2015 the high court had given enough time to the committee for verification. The court also observed, “The committee to pay the costs personally and in the event they are not able to pay the same within four weeks the state shall deduct it from their salaries.”