Bombay High Court sets up Special Bench to hear pleas against Maratha reservation

Bombay High Court forms special Bench to hear challenges to Maratha reservation law after Supreme Court directive.

The Bombay High Court on Friday (May 16, 2025) constituted a three-judge special Bench to hear the pleas challenging the constitutional validity of the law providing Maratha reservation following a Supreme Court directive.

The 2024 law, which provided 10 per cent reservation in education and government jobs to the Maratha community that constitutes nearly one-third of Maharashtra's population, had been at the forefront of political discourse last year during the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections.

In a notice issued on Friday (May 16, 2025) the High Court said a full Bench comprising Justices Ravindra Ghuge, N.J. Jamadar and Sandeep Marne is constituted to hear and decide the public interest litigations and petitions related to the Maharashtra State Reservation for Socially and Educationally Backward Classes Act, 2024.

The notice, however, does not mention or specify a date on which the bench would hear the pleas.

Last year, a full Bench headed by former HC Chief Justice D.K. Upadhyaya had commenced hearing into a bunch of petitions challenging the law on the ground that the Marathas were not a backward community that requires benefits of reservation.

The pleas also claimed that Maharashtra has already crossed the 50 per cent cap on quota.

However, the hearing came to a standstill after C.J. Upadhyaya was transferred to Delhi High Court in January this year.