By Garima Tyagi
New Delhi, March 22 (IANS) A court here has summoned Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on July 30 on a criminal complaint filed against him for allegedly giving "misleading information" in his poll affidavit ahead of the 2013 assembly elections.
Metropolitan Magistrate Snigdha Sarvaria issued summons on a complaint filed by an NGO alleging that Kejriwal had "willfully misled" the Election Commission of India (ECI) by concealing his correct address and suppressing the market value of his property.
The court held that furnishing an improper address so that the proper/correct address remained untraceable and also giving an improper valuation of the property "prima facie amounts to willful concealment and suppression and also furnishing of false information and thus, there is sufficient ground for proceeding against the accused Arvind Kejriwal" under section 125 A (penalty for filing false affidavit) of the Representation of the People Act and section 177 (furnishing false information) of the Indian Penal Code".
"There is sufficient material on record to summon accused Arvind Kejriwal for offences punishable under section 125 A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951...and section 177 of the Indian Penal Code committed by him before holding the post of chief minister of Delhi. Thus, let the summons be issued to the accused Arvind Kejriwal," the court said.
The court order came on a complaint filed by NGO Maulik Bharat Trust, through its office bearers, alleging that Kejriwal "suppressed the actual figures of property owned by him" and and deliberately furnished a wrong address of his property in Indirapuram, Ghaziabad.
The plea contended that "willful concealment and suppression of correct address and value of the aforesaid property amounts to commission of a criminal offence under section 125A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 punishable with six months of imprisonment and/or fine or both."
All candidates filing nomination papers are required to furnish an affidavit to the ECI with details of the actual cost of property and any investments that they have made.
(Garima Tyagi can be contacted at gaima.t@ians.in)
