SC reprieve for Raut, allows her to continue as corporator for now

On Tuesday, the Supreme Court ruled that Raut will continue as a corporator pending the outcome of her appeal before a statutory authority, challenging the Palghar committee’s order

MUMBAI: Former mayor and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Vishakha Raut has received a reprieve from the Supreme Court on her plea challenging her disqualification as a corporator after her caste certificate was invalidated by the Palghar District Caste Verification Committee.

SC reprieve for Raut, allows her to continue as corporator for now

On Tuesday, the Supreme Court ruled that Raut will continue as a corporator pending the outcome of her appeal before a statutory authority, challenging the Palghar committee’s order.

Raut’s election as an OBC candidate from Ward 191, a politically significant ward in the Dadar-Shivaji Park area, was challenged by Priya Sarvankar Gurav (Shiv Sena), who lost the January civic elections to Raut by a narrow margin. Following the Palghar committee’s decision, the BMC swiftly announced Raut’s disqualification, paving the way for Gurav to stake her claim to the seat.

Raut, however, filed an appeal before the Konkan divisional commissioner but was told that there is no machinery for it to hear such cases. She subsequently moved the Bombay High Court but did not receive any relief.

Raut said, “I have been given relief by the Supreme Court and will have to return to the divisional commissioner’s office to appeal. The apex court also asked how my certificate had been invalidated.”

Gurav, on the other hand, is defiant. “My aim was to prove that Raut’s caste certificate was false and I succeeded. I was defeated by 191 votes and hence I will become corporator. Let Raut exhaust the legal options she has,” she said.

The Sarvankars and Raut are long-time political rivals. Gurav’s father, Sada Sarvankar, lost the 2024 Mahim assembly constituency to the Sena (UBT)’s Mahesh Sawant. Thereafter, his son Samadhan and daughter Priya lost the 2025 BMC elections, from Prabhadevi and Dadar constituencies, respectively. Sarvankar Senior is also head of the Sri Siddivinayak Temple Trust.

Meanwhile, the state government has directed the social welfare department to appoint six retired principal judges to hear appeals regarding caste certificate validity in Maharashtra. The decision comes after the state’s six divisional commissioners told state chief secretary Rajesh Aggarwal that work pressures prevented them from hearing these cases and there was no officer from the social welfare department to assist them.

As a result, many newly elected corporators who were disqualified by district caste verification committees have approached the high court for relief.