Bhopal/Satna, July 17 (IANS) Madhya Pradesh Minister of State Pratima Bagri has secured a major legal and political relief after the state’s High-Level Caste Scrutiny Committee upheld the validity of her Scheduled Caste (SC) certificate, rejecting allegations that it was obtained on the basis of forged documents.

The four-member committee, constituted under the Scheduled Caste Welfare Department, passed its order on July 14 following a detailed inquiry ordered by the Madhya Pradesh High Court, officials said on Thursday.

The verification assumes significance as Bagri, a BJP MLA from the reserved Raigaon Assembly constituency in Satna district, was recently inducted into Chief Minister Mohan Yadav’s Council of Ministers during the Cabinet expansion.

The scrutiny was initiated after a complaint filed by Congress leader Pradeep Ahirwar on March 31, 2025, alleging that Bagri had secured a Scheduled Caste certificate by producing forged documents and availed reservation benefits on its basis.

Acting on a petition filed by Ahirwar, the Madhya Pradesh High Court directed the High-Level Caste Scrutiny Committee on April 24 this year to verify the certificate in accordance with the prescribed procedure and communicate its decision within 60 days.

The committee examined reports submitted by the Satna Superintendent of Police Hansraj Singh, the District Collector Satish Kumar S, Nagod Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Jitendra Verma, the Tehsildar and other authorities.

It also heard the complainant and scrutinised the documents submitted by both sides before arriving at its conclusion.

According to the order (copy available with IANS), the committee found that Bagri’s Scheduled Caste certificate was “legally issued” by the SDM office in Nagod.

“It was found that the applicant has been residing in Satna district since birth and her caste certificate was legally issued by the SDM office in Nagod. She belongs to the Bagri caste,” the committee said.

The committee relied on historical revenue records dating back to 1916-17, which recorded the names of Bagri’s forefathers in village land records.

It noted that reports submitted by the SDM and the Tehsildar established that her ancestors were original residents of Satna district and belonged to the Bagri community.

The panel also examined school records, which showed that Bagri was admitted to Class I in 1995 as “Pratima Singh”, daughter of Jai Pratap Singh, while her Class 11 admission register recorded her as “Pratima Singh Bagri”, daughter of Jai Pratap Singh Bagri.

Besides, the committee verified records received from the Satna district administration showing that Bagri had received Scheduled Caste scholarships during all three years of her LL.B. course after taking admission to Ramakrishna Law College in Satna in 2017.

Referring to the High Court’s order, the committee noted that it was required to determine “whether the caste certificate issued in favour of respondent No. 3 showing her to be a member of the Scheduled Caste community is valid” and to pass an appropriate order after verification.

With the committee validating the certificate after examining official records, educational documents and revenue entries, the allegations of forgery against the Minister have been rejected at the administrative level.

However, the committee’s decision remains open to judicial scrutiny if challenged before the High Court or any other competent forum.

–IANS

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