A former BMC corporator from Chembur has been booked nearly two decades later for allegedly contesting and winning a civic election from a Scheduled Caste (SC) reserved seat using a fake caste certificate, in a case that has resurfaced after years of inaction.
According to Chembur police, an FIR was registered on Thursday against Ramesh Suresh Kamble, 55. Police allege that Kamble fraudulently obtained a caste certificate in 1998, claiming he belonged to the Hindu Mahar community, and used it to contest the 2002 Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) election from Ward 192, a seat reserved for Scheduled Caste, on a Congress ticket.
How case came to light
The issue first came to light when the runner-up candidate, Rajendra Waman Waghmare approached the Caste Scrutiny Committee at Konkan Bhavan in CBD Belapur. Kamble challenged the decision in court, but both the Bombay High Court and later the Supreme Court upheld the committee’s findings, ruling the certificate to be bogus. Despite these findings, no criminal case was registered at the time.
System wakes up
Police said the present FIR has been filed based on Salunke’s complaint, which cites the earlier findings and court orders. The case was initially registered as a zero FIR at Belapur police station before being transferred to Chembur, which has jurisdiction over Ward 192, where the election documents were submitted.
Kamble has now been booked under multiple sections of the IPC, including cheating, forgery, criminal breach of trust, and using forged documents as genuine. In a letter to the additional commissioner of police (East Region), Salunke alleged that despite clear findings, Chembur police had failed to initiate proceedings earlier. She termed police response “mechanical” and raised concerns over the probe, seeking that the investigation be transferred to the Crime Branch.
Key numbers
20 years Delay before criminal case
4721 votes Votes secured by Kamble
3252 votes Votes secured by runner-up
4+ years Time served as corporator
1 seat SC-reserved ward allegedly secured with fake claim
1998 Caste certificate allegedly obtained
2002 Contests and wins BMC election (ward 192)
2005 (Nov) Caste scrutiny committee declares certificate invalid
2006 Term as corporator ends
HC + SC Uphold certificate as bogus
2026 FIR finally registered
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