A magistrate court in Mumbai on Wednesday granted significant legal relief to former Member of Parliament and Bharatiya Janata Party member Navneet Rana. The court discharged her in a case alleging the use of a forged caste certificate to contest the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
Details of the Caste Certificate Allegations
The case was registered based on a complaint by a man who alleged that Rana used a forged caste certificate to fight the 2019 parliamentary polls. She contested as an Independent candidate from the Amravati constituency, a seat reserved for Scheduled Caste candidates. Alongside Rana, her father, Harbhajan Kundles, was also named in the First Information Report (FIR).
While the detailed court order providing the reasoning behind the discharge is still awaited, the decision marks a pivotal moment in this long-pending legal battle. In the same hearing, the court adjourned the proceedings concerning the framing of formal charges against her father, Harbhajan Kundles.
Background: The Separate Sedition Case
This is not the only major legal challenge Navneet Rana and her husband, Independent MLA Ravi Rana, have faced. In a separate and highly publicized incident in 2022, the couple was arrested on charges of sedition.
That case was filed during the tenure of the then Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government. The arrest followed their public announcement to recite the Hanuman Chalisa outside the private residence of Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, 'Matoshree'. That sedition case remains pending before the courts.
Legal and Political Implications
The discharge in the caste certificate case removes a substantial legal hurdle for the politician. However, the adjournment in the proceedings against her father indicates that aspect of the matter is still live. The outcome is likely to have political reverberations in Maharashtra, where Rana remains a visible figure.
With the detailed order from the magistrate court expected soon, it will provide clearer legal grounds for the discharge. For now, Navneet Rana has secured a crucial verdict in one of the key cases against her, even as she continues to navigate the other pending sedition charge.
