Madhya Pradesh High Court
Jobi vs Sanchalak Sanchalanalay Mahila Avm Bal ... on 13 March, 2026
1 NEUTRAL CITATION NO. 2026:MPHC-IND:6767
W.P. No.28188/2022
IN THE HIGH COURT OF MADHYA
PRADESH
AT INDORE
BEFORE
HON'BLE SHRI JUSTICE JAI KUMAR PILLAI
WRIT PETITION No. 28188 of 2022
JOBI W/O JITENDRA
Versus
SANCHALAK SANCHALANALAY MAHILA AVM BAL VIKAS
VIBHAG. AND OTHERS
Appearance:
Shri Ashish Choubey - Advocate for the petitioner.
Shri Pradyumna Kibe -GA for the respondents/State.
Shri Anopam Chouhan -Advocate for the respondent [R-6].
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Reserved on 06/02/2026
Post on 13.03.2026
___________________________________________
ORDER
Signature Not Verified
Signed by: HARIKUMAR
NAIR
Signing time: 3/13/2026
4:42:54 PM
2 NEUTRAL CITATION NO. 2026:MPHC-IND:6767 W.P. No.28188/2022 This writ petition under Article 226 of the Constitution of India has been filed by the petitioner challenging the order dated 21.10.2022 (Annexure P-14) passed by Respondent No. 2 (Commissioner, Indore Division). By the impugned order, Respondent No. 2 affirmed the order dated 30.11.2021 (Annexure P-11) passed by Respondent No. 3 (Collector, District Alirajpur) and the consequential order dated 13.12.2021 (Annexure P-12) issued by Respondent No. 5, whereby the appointment of the petitioner to the post of Anganwadi Worker at Anganwadi Centre, Village Mahalgaon, Kumhar Phalia, was cancelled.
2. The factual matrix of the case is that the petitioner is a woman belonging to a Scheduled Tribe, having a 50% physical disability (Annexure P-1). Prior to the present dispute, she was appointed and working as an Anganwadi Worker at Anganwadi Centre, Bari Phalia (Bhitara village) vide order dated 30.06.2017 (Annexure P-
2).
3. Upon her marriage in village Mahalgaon, the petitioner resigned from her post at Bhitara village on 01.02.2020 and received an experience certificate on 10.02.2020 (Annexure P-3). She began residing permanently in Mahalgaon, and her name was registered in the voter list, Samagra portal, and ration card (Annexure P-4).
Signature Not Verified Signed by: HARIKUMAR NAIR Signing time: 3/13/2026 4:42:54 PM3 NEUTRAL CITATION NO. 2026:MPHC-IND:6767 W.P. No.28188/2022
4. Subsequently, Respondent No. 5 issued a notification for a vacant post of Anganwadi Worker at Anganwadi Centre, Mahalgaon, Chivalda Phalia. Out of 18 applications received, a merit list was prepared wherein the petitioner secured the second position, while Respondent No. 6 secured the tenth position (Annexure P-5).
5. Respondent No. 6 raised an objection regarding the BPL ration card and other documents submitted by the petitioner. A competent Committee examined the original documents on 21.12.2020, found them to be in order, and dismissed the objection (Annexure P-7). Consequently, the petitioner was appointed to the post vide order dated 01.02.2021 (Annexure P-8) and assumed charge.
6. Aggrieved by the rejection of her objection, Respondent No. 6 preferred an appeal before Respondent No. 3 (Collector, Alirajpur). Overlooking the detailed reply submitted by the petitioner (Annexure P-10), Respondent No. 3 passed an order dated 30.11.2021 (Annexure P-11) cancelling the petitioner's appointment on the basis of her BPL card and graduation mark sheet. In compliance, Respondent No. 5 issued a termination order dated 13.12.2021 (Annexure P-12).
Signature Not Verified Signed by: HARIKUMAR NAIR Signing time: 3/13/2026 4:42:54 PM4 NEUTRAL CITATION NO. 2026:MPHC-IND:6767 W.P. No.28188/2022
7. The petitioner challenged these orders before this Court in W.P. No. 2046/2022, which was withdrawn with liberty to file an appeal. Thereafter, the petitioner filed an appeal before Respondent No. 2 (Commissioner, Indore), who dismissed the same vide the impugned order dated 21.10.2022 (Annexure P-14), affirming the cancellation of her appointment.
8. Learned counsel for the petitioner contended that the appointment was granted only after due verification of documents by a competent committee. It was submitted that the petitioner lawfully resigned from her previous position due to marriage, and her name was duly entered into the family register at Mahalgaon.
9. It was further argued that Respondent No. 6 stood at the tenth position in the merit list. Therefore, even if the 10 marks awarded to the petitioner for the BPL category were deducted, the petitioner would still retain the first priority in the selection list. The petitioner asserted that the appellate authorities acted arbitrarily by doubting her local residency and cancelling her appointment without proper scrutiny of the records.
10. Per contra, the stand of the respondents, as emerging from the reply, is that the initial appointment of the petitioner lacked Signature Not Verified Signed by: HARIKUMAR NAIR Signing time: 3/13/2026 4:42:54 PM 5 NEUTRAL CITATION NO. 2026:MPHC-IND:6767 W.P. No.28188/2022 transparency and was made without proper screening and verification of documents.
11. It was contended that as per the applicable circular dated 10.07.2007 (Annexure R-1), 10 marks are provided for a Graduation Degree. The petitioner was wrongly granted these 10 marks because she had only completed the first year of her graduation at the relevant time and was not a graduate candidate.
12. The respondents averred that the burden of proof regarding educational qualifications lay upon the petitioner. Upon examining the records, the competent authority rightly found that the petitioner was not a graduate and thus not entitled to the additional 10 marks, entirely justifying her removal from the post.
13. Heard the learned counsel for the respective parties at length. The original records of the case, summoned in a sealed cover, have been opened in the Court and carefully perused.
14. The core controversy for determination revolves around two pivotal issues - firstly, the domicile of the petitioner and the authenticity of her BPL Family Card and - secondly, her educational qualifications on the date of the advertisement. To prove her permanent domicile at Gram Mahalgaon, the petitioner placed reliance upon her Voter ID, Aadhaar Card, Samagra ID, and Signature Not Verified Signed by: HARIKUMAR NAIR Signing time: 3/13/2026 4:42:54 PM 6 NEUTRAL CITATION NO. 2026:MPHC-IND:6767 W.P. No.28188/2022 Family Card (Parivar Patra). It is a well-settled legal proposition that documents such as Voter ID, Aadhaar Card, and Samagra ID serve primarily as proof of identity and do not constitute substantive, conclusive proof of domicile.
15. Moreover, it has been fundamentally contended by the petitioner that after her marriage, she became a permanent resident of Gram Mahalgaon. However, significantly, a perusal of the record reveals that no documentary proof of marriage has been produced by the petitioner to substantiate this foundational claim.
16. Upon a careful scrutiny of the original record produced by the respondents, it transpires that at the relevant time, the petitioner had relied solely upon the Family Card/BPL Card (Parivar Patra) to prove her permanent domicile. In this regard, an official enquiry was conducted by the authorities for the verification of the said BPL Ration Card/Family Card.
17. The enquiry report brought on record categorically exposes serious illegalities and manipulations in the insertion of the petitioner's name in the said BPL Ration Card. The relevant portion of the said enquiry report is reproduced verbatim as under:
"1. ग्राम पंचायत सचचव श्री हेमता रावत वततमान कायतरत है तथा सचचव श्री सरदारससह सोलंकी पूवत सचचव ग्राम पंचायत Signature Not Verified Signed by: HARIKUMAR NAIR Signing time: 3/13/2026 4:42:54 PM 7 NEUTRAL CITATION NO. 2026:MPHC-IND:6767 W.P. No.28188/2022 सेमलानी थे जो दोनों के कथन ऄनुसार बताया गया है कक हमारे द्वारा राशन कार्त में नाम श्रीमचत जोबी पचत चजतेन्द्र नरं गावा का नाम राशनकार्त में नहीं जोडा गया है। ऐसा कथन में बताया गया है। व ककसी प्रकार का राशन कार्त पंजी में नाम नहीं जोडा गया है ऐसा कथन में बताया गया है कथन संलग्न है।
2. श्री चसलदार जमरा तत्कालीन सचचव ग्राम पंचायत सेमलानी जो वततमान सचचव ग्राम पंचायत झण्र्ाना में कायतरत होकर कथन चलये गये चजसमें सचचव द्वारा बताया गया कक श्रीमचत जोबी द्वारा मौचिक रूप से बी.पी. राशन कार्त में नाम जोर्ने हेतु बताया गया कक मेरा नाम राशन कार्त मे जोर्ा जाये आसके कहने पर मेरे द्वारा राशन कार्त में नाम जोर्ा गया है। साथ ही सरपंच पचत द्वारा राशन कार्त पंजी में नाम जोर्ा गया श्रीमचत जोबी पचत चजतेन्द्र का ऐसा सचचव श्री चसलदार जमरा द्वारा बताया गया ।
यह कक श्री चसलदार जमरा द्वारा नाम जोर्ना चवचधवत कायतवाही नहीं होने से चनयम के चवपररत तथा ऄनुचचत है चववाह के बाद ककसी बहु का बी.पी.एल. राशन कार्त में नाम जोर्ा जाता है ककन्द्तु उनके द्वारा अवेदन पत्र संबंचधत चहतग्राही का अवेदन पत्र शपथ पत्र के साथ ग्राम पंचायत एवं तहसीलदार तहसील सोण्र्वा में नाम जोर्ने हेतु अवेदन पत्र प्रस्तुत करने पर ऄनुमोदन पश्चात, जोर्ा जाता है।
यह कक राशन कार्त में व राशन कार्त पंजी में भी हस्ताक्षर सचचव व तहसीलदार महोदय का होना चाचहये जो चवचधवत नहीं होने एवं राशन कार्त व राशन कार्त पंजी में भी पररवार के सदस्यों में मचहला पूरूष योग में भी ओवरराआटींग ककया गया है। ऄतः राशन कार्त में कु ल 08 सदस्य बताया गया है। राशन कार्त पंजी में कु ल 07 सदस्य बताया गया है। दस्तावेज संलग्न है। ऄतः वषत 2015 में राशन कार्त बी.पी.एल. राशन का तैयार ककये गये थे। पंजी ऄनुसार उस समय श्रीमचत जोबी पचत चजतेन्द्र का चववाह नहीं हुअ था आस कारण राशन Signature Not Verified Signed by: HARIKUMAR NAIR Signing time: 3/13/2026 4:42:54 PM 8 NEUTRAL CITATION NO. 2026:MPHC-IND:6767 W.P. No.28188/2022 कार्त में बाद में नाम जोर्ा गया है। वषत 2019 में श्रीमचत जोबी की शादी होने से वह श्रीमचत ककला वेरससह के पररवार में बहू बनकर अने से ग्राम पंचायत द्वारा बाद में राशन कार्त में नाम जोर्ा गया है वह पूवतक चनयम ऄनुसार राशन कार्त में जोर्ने की कायतवाही नहीं ककया गया है।"
18. A bare perusal of the aforesaid enquiry report makes it abundantly clear that the legally prescribed procedure for adding a name to the BPL card was entirely bypassed. As per the rules, after marriage, a daughter-in-law's name can be added to the BPL ration card only upon the submission of an application along with a sworn affidavit to the Gram Panchayat and the Tehsildar, followed by due approval. Instead, the then Secretary, Shri Sildar Jamra, illegally added the name merely on the oral request of the petitioner, and the husband of the Sarpanch unauthorisedly made entries in the ration card register. Both the current and former authorized Panchayat Secretaries explicitly denied making such entries.
19. Furthermore, the enquiry report highlights glaring tampering and overwriting in the official records. A meticulous examination of the original Family Card (Parivar Patra) produced before this Court also corroborates that the name of the petitioner was subsequently overwritten in a cross line at Column 8. The total number of family members was overwritten to show 07 members in the register, while the ration card reflected 06 members. The record further Signature Not Verified Signed by: HARIKUMAR NAIR Signing time: 3/13/2026 4:42:54 PM 9 NEUTRAL CITATION NO. 2026:MPHC-IND:6767 W.P. No.28188/2022 establishes that the original BPL ration card was prepared in the year 2015, whereas the petitioner claims to have been married in 2019, following which her name was surreptitiously and illegally added. The conclusion of the enquiry report firmly establishes that due to this blatant tampering and actions contrary to statutory rules, the petitioner cannot be granted BPL benefits or treated as a valid domiciled resident based on these tainted documents. Thus, the respondent authorities committed no error in rejecting the appointment of the petitioner.
20. In addition to the above domicile and BPL issue, there is a fundamental defect regarding the petitioner's educational qualifications. A perusal of the mark sheet (Annexure P-4) reveals that the petitioner passed her graduation in the months of September and October 2021. However, the advertisement for the post of Anganwadi Worker was circulated on 04.02.2020. It is a cardinal principle of service jurisprudence that eligibility criteria must be fulfilled on the cut-off date, which is generally the date of the advertisement or the last date of submission of the application. Since the petitioner was not a graduate on 04.02.2020, the initial grant of 10 additional marks to her for a graduation degree was fundamentally flawed and contrary to the circular dated 10.07.2007.
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21. The appellate authorities have correctly appreciated the facts, the lack of substantive proof of marriage, the interpolation in the Family Card as established by the enquiry report, and the timeline of the educational qualifications. The action taken by the respondents in cancelling the appointment is fully justified and does not suffer from any legal infirmity, arbitrariness, or jurisdictional error. The impugned orders are legally sound and well-reasoned.
22. Consequently, the respondents are directed to verify the current status of the said post. The respondents are further directed to call upon the next eligible and available candidates from the merit list for appointment to the post of Anganwadi Worker by issuing notices for filling the vacancy caused by the cancellation of the petitioner's appointment strictly in accordance with the rules. The respondents shall ensure strict scrutiny and verification of all original documents and credentials of the subsequent candidates prior to issuing any appointment order. Let the consequential process of appointment be concluded expeditiously thereafter.
23. In view of the foregoing discussion, this writ petition being devoid of merit is hereby dismissed.
24. Pending applications, if any, shall be disposed of accordingly.
Signature Not Verified Signed by: HARIKUMAR NAIR Signing time: 3/13/2026 4:42:54 PM11 NEUTRAL CITATION NO. 2026:MPHC-IND:6767 W.P. No.28188/2022 No order as to costs.
(Jai Kumar Pillai) Judge hk/ Signature Not Verified Signed by: HARIKUMAR NAIR Signing time: 3/13/2026 4:42:54 PM