New Delhi, July 13 (IANS) The Delhi High Court on Monday gave AAP legislator Surender Singh the last opportunity to file a response to BJP leader Karan Singh Tanwar’s petition over Singh allegedly furnishing false information about his educational qualification in a poll affidavit.
The high court directed Singh to file his response by August 6.
The court earlier on May 18 issued notice to Singh in the case.
Justice Hima Kohli sought the Delhi Cantonment legislator’s response after Tanwar in his petition said Surender Singh “misrepresented himself to be B.A. in 2012 from Sikkim University…which amounts to corrupt practice within the meaning of the Representation of the People Act”.
“It is submitted that if he was serving in National Security Guard till 2011, it is beyond comprehension that he would have graduated or undertaken and completed his alleged B.A. course in 2012,” the plea said.
Surender Singh became the second Aam Aadmi Party legislator – after the then Delhi law minister Jitender Singh Tomar – to face allegations over educational qualifications.
Tanwar said a Right to Information (RTI) reply from the Sikkim University said it did not have any record of a student named Surender Singh.
“As per the academic record for 2014-15 and all past academic years, there is no student by the name of Surender Singh,” said the RTI reply.
Tanwar sought the court’s directions to declare Singh’s election “void and the same be set aside”.
“Singh has deprived the voters of Delhi Cantt their valuable right of having full and complete information as to his background and qualification,” Tanwar said, seeking direction to summon the record of the election affidavit.