In a major embarrassment to the Aam Aadmi Party-led government, Tilak Manjhi Bhagalpur University of Bihar on Monday told the Delhi High Court that Law Minister Jitender Singh Tomar’s law degree was fabricated and did not exist on its records. Mr. Tomar had reportedly obtained enrolment as a lawyer on the basis of this certificate.

The university, where Mr. Tomar claimed to have studied law, submitted to the Court its inquiry report in response to a notice issued to it on a writ petition alleging that the Minister’s law degree was bogus. It said the provisional certificate in the record showed the name of some other person.

“The provisional certificate bearing No. 3687 allegedly issued to Mr. Tomar... appears to be fabricated with an attempt to give a legal status to the issuance of his degree for allegedly [being] a student of VNS Institute of Legal Studies, Munger, which lost its affiliation from 1990,” stated the report.

The affidavit, filed by the university’s Inspector of Colleges, pointed out that on the basis of the inquiry report and in the university records, the provisional certificate purportedly issued to Mr. Tomar was issued to one Sanjay Kumar Chaudhary for B.A. (honours) political science examination held in 1998.

Justice Rajiv Shakdher, hearing the matter, appointed lawyer Chandrashekhar Singh as amicus curiae in the case. He posted the matter for further hearing on August 20, and asked petitioner Santosh Kumar Sharma to be present on the next date of hearing.

The Court directed the Bar Council of Delhi, which has issued notice to Mr. Tomar, to probe into the matter and submit its report as soon as possible.