HC blocks Bengal order to verify caste certificates issued since 2011

The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday issued an interim stay on a West Bengal government notification ordering the verification of caste certificates issued on the basis of voter identity cards since 2011, The Statesman reported.

A division bench of the High Court was hearing a plea challenging the government’s decision to undertake a “blanket” verification of caste certificates following the special intensive revision of electoral rolls, Live Law reported.

The May 14 notification said that caste certificates issued to persons belonging to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes would be subject to verification, with those found to be fake being cancelled.

Lawyers appearing for the petitioner argued that the state lacks the authority to cancel caste certificates, The Statesman reported. They also said that persons who have appeals pending before the tribunals against their exclusion from the voter list would not be able to submit the documents required for the verification.

The advocate general, appearing for the state, submitted that the certificates issued on the basis of documents such as Permanent Account Number would not need to undergo verification.

He also told the court that the state government could cancel the certificates after verifying documents, including voter identity cards and Aadhaar cards, as well as caste and family certificates.

The court said that district officials could investigate specific complaints...

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