MLA moves Guj HC challenging invalidation of caste certificate

Independent MLA Bhupendrasinh Khant has moved the Gujarat High Court afresh, challenging the decision of a scrutiny committee headed by the tribal development commissioner to invalidate his caste certificate. The case is likely to come up for hearing on Monday. Khant had won as an Independent from the Morva Hadaf Assembly constituency in the December, 2017 state Assembly polls. With his caste certificate invalidated, Khant, who claims to belong to a tribal community, faces disqualification, as the Morva Hadaf constituency is reserved for Scheduled Tribe (ST) candidates. This is the second time that Khant has moved the high court for relief, after the caste scrutiny committee last week once again invalidated his caste certificate. The committee had earlier invalidated his caste certificate in January. Khant had then moved the high court, which quashed the order of the tribal development commissioner and asked the MLA to approach the panel again with documents supporting his arguments, after he told the court that he was not given the opportunity to put forward his case.

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