SC certificate of councillor cancelled

Nikhila Pant Dhawan

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, January 18

The much-contended Scheduled Caste certificate of independent councillor from Ward Number 49, Gurmeet Kaur, has been cancelled by the Director, Scheduled Caste/Backward Classes Welfare Department, Punjab. A copy of the decision has also been sent to the Municipal Corporation, Bathinda.

The final verdict on the certificate, which turned out to be fake, has now endangered the councillor’s chair as she had contested the Municipal Corporation elections in 2015 on the basis of her SC certificate.

The row over the certificate began last year when one Shakuntala Devi registered a complaint against the councillor claiming that she had furnished a fake certificate.

A probe into the case by the Vigilance Bureau revealed that the certificate was false and misleading.

Acting on the report submitted by the Vigilance Bureau, Deputy Commissioner Diprava Lakra had written to the tehsildar for cancellation of the certificate.

Talking to Bathinda Tribune last year, Diprava Lakra had stated that the cancellation of the certificate had been recommended and that further action would be taken against her.

The report submitted by the Scheduled Caste/Backward Classes Welfare Department stated that during the inquiry into the matter, it was proved that Gurmeet Kaur was a Jatt Sikh and belonged to the general category. She was married to Gagandeep Singh, who belonged to SC category.

“On the basis of her marriage to Gagandeep, Gurmeet Kaur got issued an SC certificate (number 68850) in 2011,” the department observed.

A copy of the decision has also been sent to the councillor and she has been directed to submit her certificate at the department office and in case she fails to do so, action will be taken against her.

Meanwhile, in the midst of the uproar, councillor’s husband Gagandeep Singh has refuted the allegation and claimed that a similar question had been raised in 2016 as well but the election tribunal headed by the then Deputy Commissioner Basant Garg had given a decision in their favour.

Councillor approaches HC

Councillor Gurmeet Kaur said she had approached the High Court over the matter and the next hearing in the case had been finalised for February.

She added that the matter was being given a political colour and that she was hopeful that the HC would uphold her certificate.