Another AAP MLA lands in fake degree row

After former Delhi Law Minister Jitender Singh Tomar, another Aam Aadmi Party legislator Bhavna Gaur has come under scanner over her educational qualifications with a Delhi court taking cognisance of a complaint seeking criminal prosecution of the member of Legislative Assembly for allegedly furnishing false details in the affidavits for the assembly polls.

Metropolitan Magistrate Pankaj Sharma admitted the complaint which alleged discrepancies in details related to educational qualifications in her affidavits filed with the Election Commission in last two assembly polls held in New Delhi in December 2013 and February 2015.

The development comes less than a month after another AAP MLA Jitender Singh Tomar was arrested and had to resign as law minister over charge of having fake degrees.

Complainant Samarendra Nath Verma has filed the petition under provision of 125 A of the Representation of People Act dealing with penalty for filing false affidavit.

The offence under Section 125A of the Act entails a jail term of up to six months or fine or both. The court has now fixed the matter for next hearing on July 25.

As per the complaint, during the 2013 assembly polls Gaur, an MLA from Palam constituency, had mentioned her highest qualification as 12th while during the elections held in 2015, she mentioned her highest educational qualification as BA and B.Ed in her affidavit filed along with her nomination paper.

"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.