6 days Ago
Prayagraj: The Allahabad high court has admitted a petition challenging a lower court's decision to quashing a plea seeking registration of a case against Uttar Pradesh deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya for allegedly furnishing a ‘fake' degree to obtain a licence for a petrol pump and contest polls. Justice Sanjay Kumar Singh in an order passed on April 25 fixed May 6 as the next date of hearing. The high court, which had earlier dismissed the petition on the ground that it was filed after the time granted by the lower court, condoned the delay following the Supreme Court's directives.
The revision petition was filed by RTI activist Diwakar Nath Tripathi , who alleged that Maurya had obtained a degree from Prayagraj-based Hindi Sahitya Sammelan, which has been designated as a ‘fake' university by the UGC. The petitioner had sought registration of a case against Maurya claiming that the latter had used the ‘fake' degree' to obtain licence for a petrol pump and also contest elections. Maurya is currently a member of the UP Legislative Council.
Earlier, a lower court had rejected the plea and given the petitioner a month to file a revision petition in the high court. Tripathi, however, approached the high court after more than 300 days, and the HC then dismissed the petition on grounds of delay. The petitioner then moved the Supreme Court, which directed the Allahabad HC to condone the delay and decide the petition on merit.
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