Cheating, forging case against BJP MP over caste certificate
Solapur: Days after a district-level committee declared the caste certificate of Solapur BJP MP Jaisiddeshwar Shivacharya Mahaswamiji as "invalid", a case of cheating and forgery was registered against the seer-turned- politician here in Maharashtra on Thursday, an official said.
On February 24, the district caste validity committee invalidated Swami's caste certificate and directed that a case be filed against the parliamentarian.
The Solapur Lok Sabha seat is reserved for Scheduled Caste (SC) candidates.
One Pramod Gaikwad had complained to the committee that Swami, in his affidavit submitted for the 2019 general elections, had falsely mentioned that he belonged to the 'beda jangam' community, which falls in the SC category.
Gaikwad had claimed Swami was actually a Hindu Lingayat and sought a detailed probe into his caste certificate.
The three-member committee, led by Dnyaneshwar Sul, after a detailed probe, had said Swami did not belong to the beda jangam community and declared his certificate as "invalid and forged".
The panel had directed district authorities to file a case against the 63-year-old spiritual leader in a magistrate court under provisions of the Caste Certificate Act, 2000, and relevant sections of the IPC.
"As per orders from the court, we have registered a case against Swamiji under IPC sections 420 (cheating) 467 (forgery), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating ), 471 (using as genuine a forged document ) and relevant sections of the Caste Certificate Act, 2000," said a senior official from the Sadar Bazar police station here.
The complaint in this regard was registered in the court of judicial magistrate by Balasaheb Baban Shirsath, the officiating tehsildar of Akkalkot town in Solapur district.
He said besides Swami, officials from the revenue department in Akkalkot and Umraga in Osmanabad district were named in the complaint.
Swami had defeated Congress heavyweight and former Union minister Sushilkumar Shinde by over 1.5 lakh votes.
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Separate nodal officer in all districts to prevent female foeticides in Karnataka: Minister
Belagavi (PTI): Accepting that the female foeticide has not stopped in the state, Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao on Tuesday said that the government is taking strict measures to prevent it.
The minister said the government is appointing separate nodal officers in all districts and tightening measures to prevent foeticide, which he called a "social evil".
He also assured that the government will consider strengthening legislation to control such activities.
The minister was responding to a question by BJP MLC C T Ravi in the Legislative Council.
"Female foeticides have certainly not stopped. If you look at the sex ratio, there is a lot of difference. I accept that this is happening," Rao said.
"Foeticides are not happening under pressure; voluntarily, it is happening, for not wanting a girl child. These things are happening based on the sex determination of the foetus at some hospitals. Sex determination is illegal, but with the advancement in technology, portable ultrasound machines have been developed, which can be easily carried anywhere, and scans and tests can be done. This needs to be controlled. We will bring it to the notice of the central government," he said.
In some districts and in a few hospitals, a higher number of male child births is happening. It is found with the help of intelligence input, the minister said.
"Information is being gathered on the taluk in which the male-female ratio is worsening, what is happening in which hospital, and appropriate action is being taken to crack down on such a network, after proper evaluation."
Decoy operations have been done at seven places in the last two years, to identify those involved in illegal activities linked to female foeticides, and actions have been taken against officials and hospitals involved, he said, adding that more needs to be done on priority.
Responding to a question by Ravi about whether any stringent legislation is being brought, Rao said, the government will consider strengthening the legislation and making it stricter to control this.
"Some amendments have been made to the existing laws in the last two years....advanced technology and the internet is being used to carry out such things, also oral medicines for abortions are available over the counter.
We need to look into bringing legislation to control them. The Food and Drug Administration has issued instructions to pharmacists that the sale of such drugs should be documented."
The minister also said that measures are also being taken for the effective implementation of the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PC & PNDT) Act, and awareness is being created against the identification of female foetuses and female foeticide.
