HC restrains govt from unseating corporator over caste issue

The Bombay High Court today restrained the state government and the civic body from disqualifying Congress corporator from suburban Kalina, Tulip Miranda over the issue of her caste validity certificate.
The caste verification committee, on August 14, rejected Miranda's claim of belonging to Other Backward Classes (OBC), and declared her caste certificate invalid.
She moved the court against the committee's action, and also sought an interim direction to the government, fearing disqualification as a corporator.
A bench of Justices B R Gavai and M S Karnik directed the Maharashtra government and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) not to disqualify her till further orders.

The court also asked the state, the BMC, and the caste verification committee to file their replies within two weeks.
Miranda had won from ward number 90 in Kalina, reserved for OBC candidates, in the civic elections in February.
However, Bandra district divisional caste scrutiny committee held that she did not fall in the OBC category, and rejected her claim of being an East Indian Catholic.
Miranda's petition said she belonged to the East Indian Catholic community, an ethno-religious community belonging to OBC category, as recognised by the state.