Adilabad, October 10: Adilabad MP Rathod Ramesh’s wife Suman Rathod, who was elected to the Assembly from the ST-reserved constituency Khanapur, has been proved to be a non-ST.
Following allegations by former Khanapur MLA Govind Naik that she was not an ST candidate, a district level committee constituted following the directions of Tribal welfare department to probe her caste found that the allegations were true.
The committee issued showcause notice to the MLA. Already the issue is in the High Court. In the probe by the committee it was found that the documents she produced while filing nomination claiming to be an ST were proved to be false.
Sinduthai Chauhan alias Suman Rahod was a native of Jharoor Thanda of Kinwat Taluk in Nanded district of Maharashtra.
Her community is not recognised as an ST in Maharashtra but as a backward class candidate.
The news was carried in locals newspapers in Maharashtra when she was elected as an MLA from Khanapur. The documents she submitted while filing nominations showed that she completed her SSC in 1981 from Yavathmal in Maharashtra and migrated to Andhra Pradesh after marrying Rathod Ramesh in 1983.
According to rules, only those tribals who migrated to Andhra Pradesh before 1977 are recognised as tribals and hence the ST certificate she secured from Khanapur mandal was found to be invalid.
Her nearest rival and Congress candidate Hari Naik claims that she can’t be accorded ST status as she migrated to the State after 1977. He contended that the Government should not include new communities in ST community’s list as the move would harm the interests of local tribals.
Though the development gives solace to the Congress, TD leaders are hopeful that by the time court comes out with verdict she would complete her five-year term as such cases are usually tend to be delayed.
–Agencies–