Mumbai court issues non-bailable warrant against MP Navneet Rana, her father

A city magistrate court has issued a non-bailable warrant (NBW) against independent MP Navneet Rana and her father in a case of fraudulently obtaining a caste certificate to get elected from her reserved seat. This is the second time the court has issued an NBW in the last month.

The court was to frame charges against them on Thursday for the trial to begin. On the last date of Sep 6, the father and daughter had filed a plea to be exempted from presence in court which was accepted. On Friday, their lawyers filed a plea again seeking that the matter be adjourned. It is then that the magistrate issued the NBW against the father-daughter duo.

In the case lodged at Mulund police station, it is alleged that Rana had secured a caste certificate of belonging to the scheduled caste by manipulating her school leaving certificate. It is this caste certificate that made her eligible to contest from her reserved seat in Amravati.

The police had filed a charge sheet against the MP and her father Harbhajan Singh Kundles and the proceedings before it is continuing.

Earlier, on Aug 22, the court had issued NBWs against them, after which they had remained present before it three days later.

The court had cancelled the warrant and penalized them with Rs 200 each.

Reportedly, the Bombay High Court had cancelled her caste certificate in June last year and was fined Rs 2 lakh for submitting a fake caste certificate.