The Supreme Court Today (April 4th) overturned the Bombay High Court’s ruling to revoke the caste certificate of Navneet Kaur Rana, the current Member of Parliament representing the Amravati Lok Sabha constituency in Maharashtra.
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NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court delivered a significant verdict Today, overturning the Bombay High Court‘s decision regarding the caste certificate of Navneet Kaur Rana, the incumbent Member of Parliament representing the Amravati Lok Sabha constituency in Maharashtra.
A bench comprising Justice JK Maheshwari and Justice Sanjay Karol reinstated Rana’s caste certificate, thus quashing the earlier ruling.
The apex court’s decision came as a relief to Rana, who had appealed against the Bombay High Court’s judgment that had invalidated her caste certificate, which affirmed her belonging to the ‘Mochi’ Scheduled Caste. The bench, in its ruling, emphasized,
“In the instant case, the Scrutiny Committee duly considered the documents before it and passed its decision complying with principles of natural justice. It did not merit any interference under Article 226. In light of the discussion and the peculiar facts and circumstances of the case, the instant appeals stand allowed and the High Court order is set aside.”
The controversy surrounding Rana’s caste certificate arose when Shiv Sena leader and former MP Anandra Vithoba Adsul filed a petition questioning its validity. The certificate had been issued by the Mumbai Deputy Collector and validated by the Mumbai Suburban District Caste Certificate Scrutiny Committee. The High Court, in its previous ruling, had held that Rana obtained the certificate through fabricated records to contest parliamentary elections as a reserved category candidate and imposed a fine of Rs 2 lakh on her.
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Prior to her affiliation with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Rana had won the 2019 Lok Sabha elections as an independent candidate with the backing of the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). Her nomination as the BJP candidate for the upcoming 2024 General Election from the Amaravati constituency was pending as the verdict was passed, underscoring the timeliness and significance of the Supreme Court’s decision.
Amaravati, where Rana is seeking re-election, is a reserved category constituency for Scheduled Caste (SC) community members, adding weight to the importance of her caste certificate in the electoral process.
The High Court’s ruling had also criticized the functioning of the Scrutiny Committee, highlighting discrepancies in the documents presented and the handling of objections raised. The judgment had differentiated between the terms ‘Chamar’ and ‘Ravidasia Mochi’, emphasizing their non-synonymous nature.
With the Supreme Court’s intervention, Rana’s political career receives a reprieve, allowing her to proceed with her electoral aspirations without the shadow of caste certificate invalidation looming over her candidacy.
CASE TITLE:
Navneet Kaur Ravi Rana vs State of Maharashtra and ors
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