News Dehli - Supreme Court has overturned the Bombay High Court's ruling and upheld the Scheduled Caste certificate of Amravati MP Navneet Kaur Rana. The decision comes as a major relief for Rana, who secured victory in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections from a constituency reserved for Scheduled Castes.
The bench comprising of Justices JK Maheshwari and Sanjay Karol emphasized that the Scrutiny Committee had diligently validated Rana's caste certificate after careful consideration of relevant documents and ensuring compliance with principles of natural justice. Consequently, the High Court's intervention was deemed unwarranted.
By allowing Rana's appeal and overturning the High Court's judgment, the Supreme Court has reinstated the validation order issued by the Scrutiny Committee.
At the heart of the controversy was the allegation that Rana obtained a 'Mochi' caste certificate fraudulently, despite indications in records suggesting her affiliation with the 'Sikh-Chamar' caste. The High Court's contention that the terms 'Chamar' and 'Sikh Chamar' were not interchangeable played a pivotal role in its decision to invalidate Rana's caste certificate.
In response to the High Court's findings, Rana argued that her lineage traced back to the Sikh-Chamar caste, where 'Sikh' served as a religious prefix rather than denoting a separate caste identity.
Having secured a stay from the Supreme Court against the High Court's judgment in June 2021, Rana has now emerged victorious with the apex court ruling in her favor. As she gears up for the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Rana, previously elected as an independent candidate, has received the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) nomination to contest from Amravati.
The Supreme Court's decision marks a significant milestone in Rana's political journey, reaffirming her eligibility to represent the Scheduled Caste constituency in Maharashtra.
