In relation to the caste certificate dispute, a magistrate court in Mumbai issued non-bailable warrants (NBW) against Navneet Rana, an MP from Amravati, and her father. This is the second time in the past month that NBWs have been issued against both of them.
Rana was elected to a seat that is designated for members of the scheduled castes. Rana ran for office on the grounds that she belonged to the scheduled caste. At the Mulund police station in Mumbai, a complaint was filed against her and her father for acquiring a caste certificate fraudulently by falsifying her school-leaving certificate.
Rana alias Navneet Kaur Harbhajan Singh Kindles and her father Harbhajan Singh Ram Singh Kindles have been charged in this case by the Mulund police station.
Earlier, in 2021, the Bombay High Court ordered Rana to give up her certificate after determining that it had been obtained illegally. The high court had reached the conclusion that “Rana purposefully filed for a caste certificate to make a bogus claim to allow her to run for Member of Parliament in a seat designated for a Scheduled Caste candidate.”
NBW issued by Mumbai High Court
Rana then petitioned the Supreme Court, which overturned the decision of the high court.
During the most recent hearing on September 6, the court approved the exemption request submitted by Rana and her father and kept the case pending the formulation of charges against the defendants.
On September 22, Navneet Rana’s father did not show up, and their attorney submitted two petitions. They requested an adjournment through one application and an exemption through the other. According to Rana’s legal team, the Magistrate court shouldn’t proceed with the filing of charges until after the Supreme Court has heard the caste certificate issue.
In order to stop the Magistrate court from filing charges against Rana and her father, Rana’s legal team has also made a request with the Mumbai Sessions Court. On September 30, the Mumbai Sessions Court will consider that application.
Meanwhile, on Thursday, the Magistrate court issued the NBWs after rejecting both of the applications submitted by Rana’s legal team.
Non-bailable warrants have now been issued by the court twice. Earlier, on August 22, NBWs were issued, and on August 25, Navneet Rana and her father appeared before the court. The warrant was thus revoked by the court “subject to a penalty of Rs 200 apiece.”
The Magistrate postponed the case until the “NBW report” from the police on October 4 after issuing the second NBW on Thursday.
