The Gauhati High Court has overturned its single-judge bench order that had given interim relief to Lok Sabha MP Naba Sarania in a case challenging his Scheduled Tribe (Plains) (ST-P) status.
Sarania has served as MP from Assam’s Kokrajhar Lok Sabha seat since 2014.
The writ petition, filed by Sarania in the case before the single-judge bench, was directed by the two-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice Vijay Bishnoi, in its judgment on Wednesday, to be scheduled for final disposal on Friday because of the urgency of the situation. The seat goes to polls on May 7
“We are of the view that the impugned order passed by the learned single judge cannot be sustained and the same is therefore set aside,” the bench, which also included Justice Suman Shyam, said.
The court directed the Registry to list the writ petition filed by Sarania before the single-judge bench on April 5 for “final disposal”.
The order came on a case brought by the Assam government and four other parties, contesting a single-judge bench’s order from March 27, which had stayed a January 2024 order against Sarania, and any subsequent actions that would have affected his tribal status until the writ petition was resolved.
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Sarania had contested a January 12, 2024 “speaking order” of the State Level Scrutiny Committee (SLSC), according to which he was declared not to be a member of the ST(P) community. The state Department of Tribal Affairs (Plains) then issued an order on January 20, in which Sarania’s caste certificate, issued on October 17, 2011, was cancelled.
Sarania argued that he was a member of the Boro Kachari community, which has been granted ST(P) status, and represented a Lok Sabha constituency designated for it. (IANS)
