Caste certificate can't be cancelled unilaterally: SC

Caste certificate issued to an individual cannot be cancelled by the authorities without granting an opportunity to the person to be heard, the Supreme Court has held.
 
A bench of Justices Tarun Chatterjee and RM Lodha, in a judgement, said that not granting such an opportunity amounts to violation of the "principles of natural justice," and such an order is liable to be set aside.
 
"It is an admitted position that before cancellation of the caste certificate of the appellant, the authorities ought to have given an opportunity of hearing to the appellant.
 
"In view of the fact that the principles of natural justice were admittedly violated in this case, the impugned order must be set aside and the concerned tehsildar must be directed to decide the dispute regarding the caste certificate of the appellant after giving hearing to the parties and after passing a reasoned order, preferably within three months from the date of supply of a copy of this order to him," it said.
 
The bench passed the observation while allowing an appeal filed by the appellant Ramphal, a Haryana police constable, challenging the decision of the authorities to cancel his caste certificate.