HC issues notice to Gurugram mayor, two others, over ‘fake caste certificate’

Gurugram: The Punjab and Haryana high court has issued notices to several top officials, including the deputy commissioner (DC), additional deputy commissioner (ADC), and Gurugram mayor Raj Rani Malhotra, following allegations that she used fake caste certificates to secure her candidature in the municipal elections. The controversy has triggered a political spat in Gurugram, with both the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the opposition Congress trading accusations over the integrity of the electoral process.

The notices were issued after a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was filed on April 9, by Yashpal Prajapati and others, who alleged that both Raj Rani Malhotra and Congress candidate Seema Pahuja, who contested against her, had submitted fraudulent Backward Class Category-A (BC-A) certificates. Petitioners have argued that Malhotra falsely claimed to belong to the ‘Sunar’ caste, while records indicate her family’s association with the Jat community. They cited historical documentation, including the 1916 British-era publication “Punjab Castes,” to support their claim that Malhotra belongs to the Buta Punjabi Jat community and not the BC-A category.

According to the petition, Malhotra’s BC-A certificate was issued on February 16, 2025, allegedly without proper verification by the ADC. The plea further claims that Seema Pahuja too obtained a fraudulent BC-A certificate and that both candidates manipulated government machinery to circumvent the verification process. The petitioners contend that the fraudulent issuance of BC-A certificates not only undermines constitutional provisions meant to empower backward communities, but also denies genuine BC-A category candidates their rightful representation.

The high court, while issuing notices to the state government and relevant officials, observed that the matter raises serious questions about the credibility of the municipal polls under the Haryana Municipal Corporation (Amendment) Act, 2023, which reserves seats for BC-A category candidates.

The court has scheduled the next hearing for May 22, 2025, directing the authorities to submit their responses to the allegations.

Adding to the controversy, a separate notice has also been issued questioning the ADC’s role in granting caste certificates without following due legal process. Complaints lodged earlier by various citizen groups had already demanded cancellation of the allegedly forged BC-A certificates and criminal proceedings against those responsible, but no action has been taken by authorities so far.

The legal scrutiny comes even as mayor Raj Rani Malhotra faces fresh political backlash over appointing her husband, Tilak Raj Malhotra, as an honorary adviser to the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG)—a move criticised by opposition leaders as another example of undermining democratic governance and promoting proxy leadership.

The Congress party and civic groups have accused the BJP of violating its own stand against ‘parivarvad’ (dynastic politics) and weakening the spirit of women’s reservation in public offices.

As the legal proceedings gather pace and pressure mounts from civil society groups, the developments in Gurugram’s municipal governance could have wider implications for the enforcement of caste-based reservations and the transparency of the electoral process in Haryana. The next step is the Haryana government’s response and the high court’s next course of action, which could potentially lead to disqualification proceedings and criminal investigations against the accused candidates.