The Gujarat High Court on Thursday issued notice to the Election Commission of India in the case pertaining to alleged fake MBA degree of Minister of State for Health in Gujarat Government Shankar Chaudhary.
The High Court had earlier issued notice to the State Election Commission, Gujarat, Chief Secretary of Government of Gujarat and the private institute from which the Chaudhary allegedly obtained the degree. All these respondents have yet to file their replies to the court.
The case was filed by a Congress worker Farsu Goklani in Radhanpur area where the Gujarat Minister hails from. A division bench comprising acting Chief Justice Jayant Patel and Justice NV Anjaria accepted Goklani’s plea of making the Election Commission of India a respondent as the State Election Commission did not have the right in this case. The division bench has fixed next hearing of the matter on December 7.
The petitioner alleged that Shanker Chaudhary in his nomination papers filed for the 2012 Assembly elections had falsely claimed to have an MBA degree from National Institute of Management. He questioned how the Minister could have obtained an MBA degree in 2012 when he had passed the 12th standard examinations in the year 2011. He told the court that he had complained about the fake MBA degree to State Election Commission on July 17 this year but was advised by the commission to lodge an FIR. Goklani has also demanded cancellation of Chaudhary’s candidature as well as he wants the State Government to sack the Minister with immediate effect.
Chaudhary had completed both his SSC and HSC from Sheth K B Vakil Vividhlaxi Vidyalaya in Patan district in North Gujarat. Talking to media he said that the petition is politically motivated and he has full faith in the legal system. When asked about validity of the degree he said that he would not like to say more as the case is before the court.