Bombay HC Pulls Up Chembur Police in Caste Certificate Case Against Ex-Corporator
The Bombay High Court has strongly pulled up a police officer from Chembur police station, observing that his conduct during an investigation into a fake caste certificate case prima facie indicated an attempt to favour the accused and frustrate the petitioner's legal remedy. A division bench of Justices Ajey Gadkari and Kamal Khata stated that the investigating officer had exceeded his jurisdiction to help the accused person and tried to overreach the court.
The observations came during the hearing of a petition filed by advocate Chitra Salunke, who sought the transfer of the probe into a First Information Report registered at Chembur police station. Represented by senior advocate Rajiv Chavan, Salunke alleged that the police investigation was being carried out in a lackadaisical manner to shield the accused, former Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation corporator Ramesh Suresh Kamble.
According to the petition, Kamble had contested the 2002 BMC election from a ward reserved for Scheduled Castes. His caste certificate was subsequently invalidated by the Caste Scrutiny Committee, a decision that was later upheld by both the Bombay High Court and the Supreme Court. The petition further stated that despite the earlier invalidation, Kamble obtained another caste certificate in November 2025 claiming to be a Buddhist (Mahar) and allegedly sought to contest an election from a reserved ward. The FIR contains charges under multiple provisions relating to cheating and forgery.
The High Court bench raised sharp questions regarding the timeline and manner of the police probe. The investigation initially began on April 2 but made no substantial progress for nearly five months. After the High Court expressed concerns regarding the delay on September 1, the investigating officer submitted a C-summary report spanning more than 500 pages on September 15, just one day before the court was scheduled to hear the matter again.
The judges observed that the report appeared to merely repeat the findings of the Caste Scrutiny Committee rather than properly examining allegations concerning monetary benefits and other issues. The bench termed the officer's actions wholly unconscionable, noting that steps were deliberately and dishonestly taken to protect Kamble's interests and weaken the petitioner's case.
Taking serious note of the officer's conduct, the High Court directed the Mumbai Police Commissioner to personally file a detailed affidavit addressing the allegations. The matter has been scheduled for its next hearing on October 21.
