Overview
- The state-level scrutiny committee heard both sides on Monday and has reserved its decision after reviewing documents and public notices ordered by the Madhya Pradesh High Court.
- Pratima Bagri told the panel she belongs to a Scheduled Caste and submitted her grandfather’s caste certificate plus records more than 110 years old to support her claim.
- Complainant Pradeep Ahirwar has presented census entries and a 2007 Government of India Gazette amendment to argue the Bagri family belongs to a Rajput sub-caste that should be excluded from SC status.
- The committee is expected to deliver a report within about one to two weeks that will be forwarded to the High Court, which will decide on any administrative cancellation or legal disqualification.
- If the certificate is struck down, the practical effects include loss of reserved-seat eligibility and ministerial position, and the case highlights how Gazette notifications and old census lists shape caste-based political rights in India.