Daijiworld Media Network – Bangalore (SP)

Bangalore, Nov 3: The Karnataka High Court, through an order issued on Monday November 2, has upheld the action of the appellate authority of the social welfare department in cancelling the caste certificate issued by the Shimoga tahildar to K G Kumaraswamy, BJP MLA representing Shimoga rural constituency. Kumaraswamy reportedly belongs to Namadhari Vokkaliga caste.

Justice Ajit Gunjal passed this order. A person named K Lakshman, through a complaint filed with the commissioner of the district social welfare department in the year 2008, had alleged that Kumaraswamy had secured a caste certificate from the tahsildar, in which his caste was shown as ‘Bhovi’. It is said that this certificate was obtained through covertive means,  to enable Kumaraswamy to fight the election. However, Lakshman’s complaint had been dismissed by the department.

This decision had been questioned by Lakshman in the appellate authority of the social welfare department. The authority, through an order dated March 24 this year, cancelled the said caste certificate. The authority re-transferred the case to tahsildar, asking him to properly investigate the matter and issue the certificate afresh, properly. Kumaraswamy approached the High Court against this direction. The applicant maintained that Kumaraswamy’s brothers had obtained caste certificates showing them as belonging to ‘Vokkaliga’ community, which proves that Kumaraswamy had obtained fake certificate for being eligible to fight the election.

The judge entertained this plea and dismissed the petition moved by Kumaraswamy.