Supreme Court Flags Racket in Bogus Caste Certificates in Tamil Nadu
Last Updated on March 3, 2025 by Athi Venkatesh
Supreme Court Flags Racket in Bogus Caste Certificates in Tamil Nadu
The Supreme Court recently observed a possible “huge racket” in Tamil Nadu involving fake caste certificates. The Court was hearing petitions regarding certificates that identified thousands as belonging to the Hindu Konda Reddis Community, a Scheduled Tribe.
A bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and R. Mahadevan noted that caste certificates are a major issue in the state. The Court stated that it would not make direct allegations for now but found the situation “extremely dangerous.”
The case stemmed from a petition where a woman sought a caste certificate for her son, claiming they belonged to the Reddis Community. The Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO) denied her request after an inquiry. The Madras High Court later ruled in her favor and directed a State Level Scrutiny Committee to verify her claim. The Tamil Nadu government challenged this decision in the Supreme Court, which granted an interim stay last year.
Last week, the Supreme Court modified its order, allowing the scrutiny committee to investigate the authenticity of these certificates. The committee must submit its findings within six weeks. The Court will then review each case individually.
The Supreme Court emphasized that the inquiry must be fair, transparent, and impartial. It aims to determine how thousands obtained these caste certificates and whether they are legitimate. The Supreme Court raised concerns over a racket issuing fake caste certificates in Tamil Nadu. A scrutiny committee will verify their authenticity within six weeks. The Supreme Court recently observed a possible “huge racket” in Tamil Nadu involving fake caste certificates. The Court was hearing petitions regarding certificates that identified thousands as belonging to the Hindu Konda Reddis Community, a Scheduled Tribe.
A bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and R. Mahadevan noted that caste certificates are a major issue in the state. The Court stated that it would not make direct allegations for now but found the situation “extremely dangerous.”
The case stemmed from a petition where a woman sought a caste certificate for her son, claiming they belonged to the Reddis Community. The Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO) denied her request after an inquiry. The Madras High Court later ruled in her favor and directed a State Level Scrutiny Committee to verify her claim. The Tamil Nadu government challenged this decision in the Supreme Court, which granted an interim stay last year.
Last week, the Supreme Court modified its order, allowing the scrutiny committee to investigate the authenticity of these certificates. The committee must submit its findings within six weeks. The Court will then review each case individually.
The Supreme Court emphasized that the inquiry must be fair, transparent, and impartial. It aims to determine how thousands obtained these caste certificates and whether they are legitimate.
