As per case facts, the Petitioner's Thakur Scheduled Tribe claim was invalidated by the Caste Scrutiny Committee despite submitting significant documentary evidence, including pre-independence records and caste validity certificates of ... blood relatives. This claim was initially invalidated, then remanded by the High Court, and re-invalidated by the Committee, leading to this petition. The question arose whether the Scrutiny Committee erred in invalidating the tribe claim based solely on affinity test and area restriction, overlooking substantial documentary evidence and previously issued validity certificates for the Petitioner's relatives. Finally, the High Court held that the Scrutiny Committee misdirected itself by not appreciating the documentary evidence, including pre-constitutional records and validity certificates of blood relatives, and reiterated that the affinity test is not a conclusive litmus test. The Court quashed the impugned order and directed the Committee to issue a Caste Validity Certificate.