Documents filed by candidates in 2004 elections not traceable: Election Commission

NEW DELHI: Delhi State Election Commission today told a court here that the original affidavits and some other documents, filed by candidates who had contested 2004 Lok Sabha poll from Chandni Chowk, including Union Minister Smriti Irani and senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal, were "not traceable".

The poll panel, however, said that this information was available on its website.

The submission was made by the official in pursuance to court's order which had sought records regarding educational qualifications of Irani, against whom a complaint was filed for allegedly giving false information in affidavits to the poll panel.

"The original election forms and affidavits of all candidates who contested Lok Sabha election from Chandni Chowk in 2004 are not traceable despite best efforts. However, their photocopies are available on the commission's website," the poll panel official told Metropolitan Magistrate Harvinder Singh.

An affidavit was also filed by the official regarding the information furnished by Irani while contesting 2004 election.

Meanwhile, the court completed recording of statement of complainant Ahmer Khan, a freelance writer, and posted the matter for further hearing on August 27.

The court had on November 20 last year allowed the plea of complainant seeking a direction to the officials of EC and Delhi University to bring records of Irani's qualifications after he said he was unable to place them before the court.

The complainant had claimed that Irani had deliberately given discrepant information about her educational qualification in affidavits filed before the poll panel in 2004, 2011 and 2014 and not given any clarification despite concerns being raised on the issue.