BOMBAY HC TO EXAMINE LEGAL POSITION OF MUSLIM COMMUNITY NOT MENTIONING THEIR CASTE ON RECORDS

The Bombay High Court will examine the legal position concerning the Muslim community not mentioning caste in their records. The HC was hearing a plea seeking quashing of the order passed by the caste scrutiny committee of Sangli, the cast committee refused to issue a caste validity certificate to one Zuveria Shaikh (petitioner) belonging to Muslim Naikwadi of Vimukt Jati in favor.

Shaikh in her plea stated that her school-leaving certificate did not mention caste as Naikwadi as it was not a practice in the Muslim community to mention sub-caste. The HC bench was informed that many judgments had been delivered by the Bombay HC where it has been observed that there is no practice of mentioning cases among the Muslim community.

The petitioner stated that the Vimukt Jati (VJ) status is given to some based on their traditional business. The caste system does not exist in the Muslim religion and the committee should face taking into consideration the fact that there is no practice of mentioning caste in the Muslim community. In view of the same, our sub-caste is not mentioned anywhere in any documentary evidence. The caste committee demanded documentary evidence mentioning the petitioner's caste as "Naikwadi". However, the records of the petitioner or her forefathers did not record their caste as Muslim.

Shaikh further stated that it can be seen in the vigilance committee report that she is Muslim - Naikwadi by caste and the same should be considered by the caste committee. She further said that the caste certificate is important for her direct admission to II years of engineering course.