HC tells cops to probe forged caste certificate in civic polls

The Bombay High Court has directed the police to register an FIR and launch a probe against a candidate who contested elections for the post of Councillor in Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation in 2012 allegedly on the strength of forged caste certificate.
The direction was given recently by Justices S B Shukre and S C Dharmadhikari on a petition filed by Padmini Raje Mohite, who had also contested the election for the Councillor's post from the same ward in the civic body.
The court has asked Yerwada police station to file an FIR and hold a probe within three months into the allegations.

According to the petitioner, the post was reserved for Other Backward Class (woman). The respondent, Sandhya Ram Jadhav, had produced a caste validity certificate dated January 20, 2012. However, the petitioner, through RTI, learnt that the certificate was forged, bogus and fabricated.
The petitioner also moved the Caste Scrutiny Committee in Pune to inquire whether the caste certificate had been scrutinised and validated by it. She raised a grievance that this committee looked into its files and gave a letter to the competent investigation machinery that its record does not show that a caste validity certificate was issued to certify and validate the caste claim of the respondent.

"It appears from the record that apart from the complaint filed by the petitioner, the Scrutiny Committee also took up the issue and sent a letter to the Commissioner of Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation, saying the respondent had produced a false, forged and fabricated caste certificate, thereby deceiving the Pune Collector," the Judges said.

The caste validity certificate produced could not, therefore, be considered as valid, the court noted.
Despite such letters, the concerned police station, namely Yerwada police station, did not register any FIR nor it commenced any investigation, the Judges observed.
Surprisingly, the very Committee, which made its complaint in writing on April 11, 2012 to the Pune Collector and other authorities purportedly turned around and addressed a letter on May 17, 2012, stating that the complaint, in so far as the certificate of respondent is concerned, need not be entertained because it has found in the files a certificate issued by Caste Scrutiny Committee.