A Delhi court on Wednesday agreed to hear a complaint filed against HRD Minister Smriti Irani for allegedly submitting false details about her educational qualification in the affidavits filed before the Election Commission (EC) during two different elections.
"It is held that the present complaint case is filed under limitation (of time). Cognizance is taken. The matter be now fixed for pre-summoning evidence on August 28," metropolitan magistrate Akash Jain said, PTI reports.
A freelance writer, Ahmer Khan, had lodged a complaint against the BJP leader for producing different educational information before the EC.
In the affidavit filed before the EC ahead of the April 2004 Lok Sabha elections, Irani had claimed she had completed her BA from Delhi University (School of Correspondence) in 1996. But, while contesting Rajya Sabha election from Gujarat in July 2011, Irani had mentioned that she had only completed B.Com Part-I from DU (School of Correspondence), according to Khan's advocate KK Manan.
Even during last year's general elections, she had claimed that her highest educational qualification was B Com Part-I.
"It is evident from the contents of the affidavits filed by Smriti Z Irani that at best only one of the depositions by her on oath in respect of her educational qualifications is correct," the complaint said, Hindustan Times reports.
"The aforesaid facts and circumstances reveal commission of offences by accused under section 125A of Representation of People Act, 1951, besides any other offences that may attract other penal provisions as an outcome of an additional investigation," the plea said.
