Smriti Irani’s degree row: Court tells EC to file documents

A city court on Thursday asked the Election Commission (EC) to file certain records relating to Union Minister Smriti Irani's educational qualification, filed by her while contesting the 2004 general elections, on a complaint alleging she had given false information in her affidavit given to the poll panel.

Metropolitan Magistrate Harvinder Singh, who was expected to pronounce the order on whether to summon the politician as accused in the case, directed EC officials to file the documents after noting that some clarifications were required in the matter.

During earlier hearings of the complaint filed by freelance writer Ahmer Khan, the court was told by a poll panel official that the documents filed by Irani regarding her educational qualification while filing nominations were not traceable. However, the information on this was available on its website, he had said.

In pursuance to the court's earlier direction, Delhi University had also submitted that the documents pertaining to Irani's BA course in 1996, as purportedly mentioned by her in an affidavit filed during 2004 Lok Sabha elections, were yet to be found.

The court had on November 20 last year allowed the complainant's plea seeking direction to the officials of EC and DU to bring the records of Irani's qualifications after he said he was unable to place them before the court.