Rajasthan High Court Rules Caste Details Unnecessary for Notice Serving; Name, Father's Name, and Address Sufficient

Jodhpur- The Rajasthan High Court has rejected the practice of seeking caste details during notice serving, directing all District Judges in the state to immediately discontinue the mandatory requirement of caste information for this purpose. The court clarified that a person's name and father's name are sufficient for identification, especially in rural areas.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava and Justice Sunil Beniwal, while hearing an appeal filed by the state, observed that in one case, notices sent to respondents No. 5 and 7 were returned with the remark that they could not be served because the caste of the individuals was not mentioned.

The bench dismissed this report, terming it entirely unjustified, and stated that the process server had failed to perform his duty properly.

The court directed the District Judge of Nagaur to take appropriate action against the concerned official. It further ordered that in the future, caste-related details should not be considered mandatory for serving notices. If a party's identity is unclear, the issuing side should be asked for correct and clear address details rather than caste information.

The bench also instructed that a copy of this judgment be sent to all District Judges in the state to ensure compliance.