Panchayat president disqualified in Vellore for producing fake community certificate

Kalpana Suresh
| Photo Credit: Special arrangement

Panchayat president Kalpana Suresh, of Tholapalli village, a reserved constituency, that comes under Anaicut panchayat union in Vellore was disqualified by the State Election Commission for producing fake community certificate to contest in the rural local body polls that was held in October 2021.

The dismissal of the panchayat president was based on the recommendations of the District Collector V.R. Subbulaxmi after it was found that she submitted a fake Scheduled Caste (SC) certificate to contest in the reserved seat.

Election officials said that elections to rural local bodies for nine reorganised districts were held in October 2021. The Tholapalli village panchayat was classified as a reserved panchayat for SCs. Out of the five contestants for the post of panchayat president, Ms. Suresh won with a margin of 609 votes, beating her close rival A. Bhagyaraj, who belongs to the Arunthathiyar community.

Based on a complaint by Mr. Bhagyaraj that she produced a fake certificate, the then Collector P. Kumaravel Pandian directed the vigilance committee to conduct an investigation into the issue. The inquiry found that Ms. Suresh belonged to the Naidu caste and the certificate that was produced to contest in the polls was forged.

The Collector submitted the inquiry report to the State Election Commission. In December 2022, a case was registered by the Veppankuppam police against Ms. Suresh under the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act 1989.

“In January 2023, the Collector ordered the freezing of Ms. Suresh’s authority to sign cheques for the panchayat,” election officials said.