He filed the present petition in the High Court in 1999, challenging the order of the scrutiny committee. While the petition was pending in the High Court, a constitutional challenge was raised before the Supreme Court against the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950. While the challenge remained pending in the apex court, the man sought a transfer of his petition to the Supreme Court. It observed that “if ultimately the petitioner succeeded in the constitutional challenge” in the Supreme Court, “consequential relief could always be granted”. Appearing for the man before the High Court, advocate Akshaya Sudame argued that connected proceedings were pending before the Supreme Court, requiring an “independent examination” of the issue by the High Court.