UP Deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya.
Credit: PTI File Photo
Lucknow: The Allahabad High Court on Friday admitted a petition challenging a lower court’s decision quashing a petition which had sought registration of a case against Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister and senior BJP leader Keshav Prasad Maurya for allegedly furnishing a ‘fake’ degree to obtain a license of a petrol pump and contest elections.
The HC, 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 directive to this effect.
According to reports, the review petition would come up for hearing on May 6.
An RTI activist Diwakar Nath Tripathi, who has filed the review petition, contended that Maurya had obtained a degree from Prayagraj-based Hindi Sahitya Sammelan, which has been designated as a ‘fake’ University by the UGC.
Tripathi, in his petition, has sought registration of a case against Maurya claiming that the latter had used the ‘fake’ degree’ to obtain license 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 petition and given the petitioner a month to file a review petition in the HC. Tripathi, however, approached the HC after more than 300 days, and the HC dismissed the petition on this ground.
The petitioner then approached the SC, which directed the Allahabad HC to condone the delay and decide the petition on merit.