Fresh trouble for the Aam Aadmi Party Government as another AAP MlA from Palam constituency Bhawna Gaur is under the scanner over allegedly providing false details about her educational qualifications in 2013 and 2015 Assembly elections. After former Delhi Government law Minister Jitender Singh Tomar’s arrest over fake degree row, a Dwarka court on Thursday took cognizance of the case and accepted the complaint against the MlA, according to the complainant.
Complainant Samarendra Nath Verma had filed a petition under provision of 125A of the Representation of People Act which deals with penalty for filing false affidavit. Under Section 125A of the Act, a jail term of up to six months or fine or both can be incurred. According to the complainant, the Court took cognizance of the case and accepted the complaint.
An election commission official has been asked to appear before the court with the relevant documents on the next date of hearing on July 25. While in 2013, Gaur claimed to be Class 12 pass, in the 2015 affidavit, she mentioned herself as a graduate holding BA from Delhi University and a Bachelor of Education degree from Maharshi Dayanand University in Rohtak. The same was evident in the legislators’ affidavit available on the election commission website.
“The complainant failed to understand, how just within a span of 14 months (period between filing of her first affidavit in 2013 and 2015), she obtained additional qualifications of BA and B.Ed., whereas normal time required for finishing the aforesaid courses taken together would be five years (three years for BA and two years for B.Ed.),” the complaint said.
“The accused must have filed false affidavit related to her qualifications either on November 12, 2013, or on January 15, 2015, before the Returning officer in that only one version on oath on her qualifications can be correct,” it said.
Similar proceedings are going in the AAP MlA, Surender Singh, who represents the Delhi Cantonment constituency, is now accused of ‘misrepresenting’ himself before the Election Commission to be a 2012-batch graduate from Sikkim University.
AAP MlA from Karol Bagh seat, Vishesh Ravi, too has been accused of providing discrepant educational documents in his affidavits in 2013 and 2015 Delhi Assembly elections. In his affidavit for the 2013 Assembly polls, Ravi’s documents claimed that he pursued B.Com Pass degree from Chaudhary Charan Singh University in 2008 whereas his 2015 affidavit states that he was pursuing BA from IGNOU. In 2003, he passed Class X and XII in 2005 from Uttar Pradesh board.