Chhattisgarh Govt to move SC on Jogi caste issue

Raipur, Dec 16 (UNI) The Chhattisgarh government will move the Supreme Court to seek 'appropriate directions' in the light of High Court ruling quashing National Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes' order to cancel the caste certificate of former Chief Minister Ajit Jogi.

''The High Court has ruled the SC/ST commission did not have powers to decide on matters related to caste. We want to clarify it from the Apex Court as who could decide on such matters'', official sources told UNI today. The state government was seeking legal opinion on the issue.

The High Court had quashed the Commission's order asking the state government to initiate necessary action for cancellation of the ''false'' caste certificate of Mr Jogi and also criminal action against him as per the law.

A division bench, comprising Chief Justice S R Nayak and Justice V K Shrivastav, which heard Mr Jogi's petition challenging the Commission directive, held the Commission did not have any powers to conduct and issue such an order.

The SC/ST commission had passed the order on a complaint filed by Sant Kumar Netam, who complained that Mr Jogi did not belong to Scheduled Tribes and has been deriving benefit as a Scheduled Tribe member on the basis of a ''false certificate''.

However, Mr Jogi, who was the Chief Minister at that time, moved the High court against the Commission directive and had obtained a stay on it while challenging the authority of the commission to inquire into the complaint relating to the caste issue.

UNI AS/JJ SP LSS VV1739