The Supreme Court made a significant decision on Thursday, reinstating the caste certificate of Navneet Kaur Rana, the Member of Parliament from Amravati and a prominent figure in the BJP. This ruling overturns the 2021 verdict of the Bombay High Court, which had invalidated her certificate.
This development coincided with the final day for filing nominations for the Amravati Lok Sabha seat in Maharashtra, for which Rana is the BJP's chosen candidate. Last year, the Bombay High Court had ruled that Rana obtained her 'mochi' caste certificate through fraudulent means, imposing a hefty fine of Rs 2 lakh on her. The court found evidence suggesting she actually belonged to the 'Sikh-Chamar' caste.
However, the Supreme Court, led by justices JK Maheshwari and Sanjay Karol, allowed Rana's appeal, criticizing the high court's interference with the scrutiny committee's report regarding her caste certificate. The court emphasized that the committee had appropriately examined the documents and adhered to principles of natural justice.
The decision holds particular significance as the deadline for nomination papers in the Amravati constituency, reserved for scheduled castes, was Thursday. The Supreme Court upheld the validity of Rana's caste certificate, emphasizing that the scrutiny committee's decision was just and should not have been questioned by the high court.
Navneet Kaur Rana, previously an independent candidate who won the reserved Amravati parliamentary seat in 2019, has recently joined the BJP and is poised to contest from the same constituency. In 2019, she had the support of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and had claimed affiliation with the 'Mochi' caste.
The Supreme Court's verdict follows months of legal proceedings, with Rana contesting the high court's decision to annul her caste certificate. The top court had earlier stayed the high court's ruling, allowing Rana to retain her certificate temporarily.
The legal battle stemmed from a complaint filed by Shiv Sena leader Anandrao Adsul, alleging that Rana obtained the certificate using forged documents and the influence of her husband, Ravi Rana, a former member of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly. The high court concurred with Adsul's contention, deeming the scrutiny committee's decision flawed and the certificate fraudulent.
This ruling by the Supreme Court not only reinstates Rana's caste certificate but also highlights the complexities and controversies surrounding caste-based politics and documentation in India's electoral landscape.
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