NEW DELHI: In a major relief to Navneet Rana, sitting Amaravati MP from Maharashtra, the Supreme Court in its verdict on Thursday reversed a 2021 Bombay High Court judgment that cancelled Rana's Scheduled Caste certificate of "Mochi", calling it forged.
A two-judge bench of the top court, led by Justice JK Maheshwari and also comprising Justice Sanjay Karol, passed the verdict, after hearing Rana's appeal.
She had moved the apex court by filing an appeal in it, and challenged the Bombay HC's June 2021 judgement cancelling her caste certificate on grounds of it being fraudulently obtained by her.
The Bombay HC had in its verdict cancelled and confiscated her caste certificate, forcing her to move to the apex court.
It is to be noted that Rana has recently joined the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) and would contest the 2024 upcoming general polls, as she is the party's choice for the same seat (Amaravati), which is a reserved category constituency.
It is significant move, the Amravati MP is expected to file her nomination papers today itself as a BJP candidate from the same Amaravati constituency for the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Setting aside the Bombay HC verdict, the SC in its judgement today, said, "In the instant case, the Scrutiny Committee duly considered the documents before it and passed its decision complying with principles of natural justice. 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 HC had passed the verdict on a petition filed by Shiv Sena leader and former MP Anandra Vithoba Adsul, who had challenged her "Mochi" caste ertificate.
The HC's two-judge bench headed by, Justice RD Dhanuka and VG Bisht, had passed the ruling against Rana and held that she obtained the caste certificate by fabricating records making her to contest the parliamentary elections as a reserved category candidate. It also imposed a cost of ₹2 lakh on her for fabricating rhe documents.