 "Supreme Court reinstates MP Navneet Rana's scheduled caste certificate")
The Supreme Court on Thursday overturned the Bombay High Court's judgment, reinstating Navneet Kaur Rana's Scheduled Caste (SC) certificate. The ruling marked a pivotal moment for Rana, a Member of Parliament from Amravati.
In the courtroom, Senior Advocate Dhruv Mehta represented Rana as the appellant, while Advocate-on-Record Shadan Farasat appeared for the respondents. Justices JK Maheshwari and Sanjay Karol, presiding over the case, highlighted that the Scrutiny Committee had diligently validated Rana's caste certificate after thorough consideration of relevant documents. Emphasising adherence to principles of natural justice, the Bench concluded that the High Court's intervention in the Committee's findings was unwarranted.
Case background
A Bombay High Court judgment, in 2021, questioned the validity of her 'Mochi' caste certificate, alleging that it had been obtained using fabricated documents. The High Court observed discrepancies between Rana's claimed caste of 'Sikh-Chamar' and the official records.
Claiming that her records indicated that Rana belonged to the 'Sikh-Chamar' caste, the HC had also imposed a fine of Rs 2 lakh on her.
Disputing the High Court's findings, Rana contended that her ancestors belonged to the Sikh-Chamar caste, where 'Sikh' serves as a religious prefix rather than a caste identifier. She asserted her affiliation with the 'Chamar' caste, challenging the High Court's interpretation of the caste entries.
In June 2021, the Supreme Court temporarily stayed the High Court's judgment. Now, with the Supreme Court's decision to allow her appeal, Rana's Scheduled Caste status stands reinstated.
Rana, who initially won as an independent candidate in 2019, has received a ticket from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to contest the upcoming Lok Sabha elections 2024 from Amravati.