In a significant ruling, the Supreme Court affirmed the validity of the ‘Mochi’ caste certificate held by Lok Sabha member Navneet Kaur Rana on April 4, 2024. The decision by a Bench led by Justice J.K. Maheshwari overturned a Bombay High Court verdict from June 2021, which had revoked Rana’s caste certificate, citing its alleged procurement through fabricated documents.
The High Court’s ruling included a hefty fine of ₹2 lakh on Rana, who secured her seat as an independent candidate supported by the Nationalist Congress Party in the reserved Amravati constituency in Maharashtra. Disagreeing with the High Court’s findings, the Supreme Court emphasized that the High Court should not have intervened in the scrutiny committee’s report on the authenticity of Rana’s caste certificate. This ruling marks a significant development in the ongoing legal battle surrounding Rana’s caste identity, which has sparked controversy and political debate.