Jyani moves HC, says Ghubaya Jr below 25

Praful Chander Nagpal

Fazilka, April 25

The controversy over Congress MLA Davinder Ghubaya’s date of birth has reached the Punjab and Haryana High Court as former SAD MLA Surjit Kumar Jyani has filed a petition, challenging the MLA’s claim about his age.

The petition mentions that Davinder did not qualify the mandatory age of 25 years for contesting the Assembly poll.

Jyani’s aide Rakesh Sehgal said the petition had been accepted for scrutiny on May 23.

Fazilka MLA Davinder defeated Jyani with a narrow margin of 265 votes in the Assembly elections. The controversy had erupted at the time of filing of nomination papers by Davinder. His father, Sher Singh Ghubaya, is an SAD MP from Ferozepur.

The petition said Davinder’s certificates of Class VIII and X, and Bachelor of Arts mentioned his date of birth as July 31, 1993.

Sehgal, however, claimed that the Congress MLA’s age had been mentioned as 23 years in voter list issued on January 5, 2017, making him ineligible to contest elections.

Davinder, however, has repeatedly said his date of birth is December 13, 1991, as per his birth certificate.

Jyani alleged Davinder had secured the date of birth certificate in a “fraudulent” manner.

Davinder brushed aside the allegation of obtaining any certificate in an unfair manner. “All relevant certificates were produced before the Returning Officer and scrutinised by the authorities concerned. Anyone is free to file a petition, but court will decide the matter,” he said.

Matter of date 

• The petition mentions that Davinder Ghubaya did not qualify the mandatory age of 25 years for contesting elections
• Surjit Kumar Jyani’s aide Rakesh Sehgal claims the Congress MLA’s age has been mentioned as 23 years in voter list issued on January 5, 2017, making him ineligible to contest poll
• Davinder has repeatedly said his date of birth is December 13, 1991, as per his birth certificate

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