Petition in Delhi court seeking cancellation of AAP candidate Shoaib Iqbal's nomination

A petition has been filed in a Delhi court seeking cancellation of Aam Adami Party's (AAP) Matia Mahal candidate, Sohaib Iqbal's nomination alleging that he gave false information in his election affidavit.

The petition, filed in Tis Hazari Court by BJP leader Shakeel Anjum Dehlavi, will be heard by Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Pragya Gupta on February 19.

Dehalvi is a resident of Matia Mahal and was the BJP candidate from the constituency in the last assembly elections.

Speaking to ANI, petitioner's lawyer Neeraj Kumar said, "Eight criminal cases have been registered against Shoaib Iqbal but he has only given information about six of these cases in his nomination form."

"While the Supreme Court has clear guidelines that any candidate who is contesting the election will have to give his full information in an electoral affidavit, the Supreme Court order has been disregarded by candidate Shoaib Iqbal," he added.

The petition moved in the Delhi court on January 27, mentions that the Iqbal had filed the nomination form along with form 26 in an affidavit before the returning officer.

The petitioner alleged that Iqbal "intentionally omitted" the information, which "he was bound to do by law".

The plea appeals to the court to take cognisance of the offense committed by Iqbal under several relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), issue summons and punish the candidate as per law.

Five-time Matia Mahal MLA Shoaib Iqbal, who has won from the constituency on four different party tickets, was selected as the AAP candidate for the upcoming assembly polls earlier this month.

Iqbal had, in 2015, faced defeat for the first time on a Congress ticket.