PUNE: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) corproator Haridas Charvad has been given three months’ time by Mumbai High Court to verify his caste certificate through Caste Certificate and Scrutiny Committee. The order was issued on Tuesday. 

Akrur Kudale, former corporator of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) had raised an objection to the caste certificate of Charvad. According to Kudale, Charvad did not follow the standard procedure of caste validation. Charvad submitted the caste certificate stating his caste as ‘Kunbi’ and fought the election on the ticket of BJP in Wadgaon Dhayari ward in 2017 civic election. He won the election and defeated Kudale. 

High Court Judges PN Deshmukh and AS Oka mentioned in the order that Caste Certificate Scrutiny Committee will conclude the inquiry as expeditiously as possible and preferably within a period of three months from the date fixed for the appearance of the parties.

“We have made no adjudication on the merit of the case. All contention of the parties on merits are kept open to be decided by the committee. The rule is made partly absolute in the above terms,” said the order. 

Haridas Charvad said, “The High Court has given three months time to cross-verify my caste validity through the State government Caste Validity Committee. I am following the order of the court.”