MAPUSA
While the Deputy Collector of Bardez on Monday cancelled the Other Backward Class (OBC) certificate issued to Mapusa councillor Tarak Arolkar on the direction of the Scrutiny Committee, the issue on the status of the councillor seems to be heading for a long-drawn legal battle.
Arolkar had obtained the OBC certificate ostensibly to contest the civic elections in April 2021 from Ward 7 in Mapusa Municipal Council which was reserved for OBC.
While revoking the certificate, Deputy Collector Gurudas Desai said based on the order of Scrutiny Committee for verification of caste the OBC certificate issued to Tarak Arolkar on March 18, 2021 stands “withdrawn as cancelled”.
A three-member Scrutiny Committee had recently in its order declared that the OBC certificate issued to the councillor before the civic elections was not verified and therefore needs to be cancelled.
According to the scrutiny committee, the councillor obtained the OBC certificate by producing an invalid birth certificate of his father.
Former councillor Francisco (Franky) Carvalho had approached the Directorate Social Welfare challenging the OBC certificate issued to Arolkar.
While the deputy collector’s order will have no immediate impact on the status of councillor Arolkar, the matter appears to be heading towards a long drawn legal battle.
High Court lawyer John Abreu Lobo said that the Scrutiny Committee’s task was to decide whether the certificate was genuine or not which it has done, but for disqualification of the councillor, the complainant will have to approach the competent authority.
“It’s for the complainant to follow due process of law. He can approach the Director of Municipal Administration in this case,” said Lobo, who has handled election related cases.
He further said that the affected councillor also has the right to take legal recourse in the matter
