Meerut, Feb. 11 -- The caste certificate of Samajwadi Party MLA Mohammad Faheem, who represents Bilari in Moradabad district, has been cancelled by a district-level verification committee after it found his claim of belonging to the Jhoja caste under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category unsubstantiated.

The panel also annulled similar certificates issued to his uncle, Haji Mohammad Usman, and Usman's two daughters, stating that their classification as members of the Jhoja caste was not clearly established.

The action follows a petition filed on July 19, 2024, by Vishwas Yadav alias Lovely Yadav, a resident of Sihali village in Bilari tehsil, who challenged the authenticity of the MLA's caste certificate. Acting on the complaint, a ...