The Mumbai crime branch has taken over the investigation into a two-decade-old case involving former BMC corporator Ramesh Kamble, who is accused of contesting the 2002 civic election using a forged caste certificate, following directions from the Bombay High Court.
The case originated with a complaint by advocate Chitra Salunkhe, who alleged cheating, forgery, breach of trust and criminal breach of trust. Chembur police registered the case earlier this year, but later completed their investigation and submitted a closure report to the 11th Metropolitan Magistrate Court in Kurla.
The report classified the matter under a ‘C’ summary, stating that the complaint was neither true nor false, or had been filed because of a mistake or misunderstanding. Dissatisfied with the investigation, Salunkhe approached the Bombay High Court seeking a fresh probe by another agency.
The High Court directed the Mumbai Police Commissioner last month to transfer the investigation to another department. The commissioner subsequently assigned the case to the Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime), who has now initiated further investigation.
According to the complaint, Kamble contested the 2002 BMC election from a seat reserved for Scheduled Castes after submitting a caste certificate identifying him as a Hindu Mahar. The complaint alleges that he was Christian by birth. Kamble won the election and served as a corporator.
The caste certificate was declared invalid in 2005 by the Divisional Caste Verification Committee at Konkan Bhavan, according to the report. The findings of the committee were subsequently upheld by the Bombay High Court and the Supreme Court.
The transfer places the investigation with a specialised city police unit after the complainant challenged the conclusions reached by the local police. It also brings renewed attention to the role of caste verification in elections to urban local bodies, where reserved seats determine representation in municipal governance.
A crime branch official said the case had just been referred to the department and that investigators would examine the allegations, documents and circumstances surrounding the alleged use of the caste certificate, along with the earlier investigation conducted by Chembur police. The official did not indicate a timeline for completing the further investigation.
