PM degree row: Delhi HC asks DU to file objections to pleas to condone delay in filing appeals
New Delhi (PTI): The Delhi High Court on Wednesday asked the Delhi University to file its objections to pleas seeking condonation of delay in filing appeals challenging an order relating to disclosure of details of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's bachelor's degree.
A bench of Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela granted three weeks to the varsity to file the reply on the applications seeking to condone the delay in filing appeals.
The bench was informed that there was a delay in filing the appeals challenging the single judge's August order.
"Solicitor General of India Tushar Mehta appears for the respondent (Delhi University). Objections to the applications seeking condonation of delay may be filed within three weeks. Response to the said objection, if any, be filed by the appellants in two weeks thereafter," the bench said.
The court listed the matter for further hearing on January 16, 2026.
Four appeals have been filed challenging a single judge's order which had set aside a Central Information Commission (CIC) decision directing disclosure of Prime Minister Modi's degree.
The division bench was hearing the appeals filed by Right to Information activist Neeraj, Aam Aadmi Party leader Sanjay Singh and advocate Mohd Irshad.
During the hearing, the counsel for the petitioners contended that there are fundamental errors in the order passed by the single judge.
Solicitor General Mehta requested the court not to issue notice in the appeals at this stage as he was already appearing for the varsity and that he would file a reply to it.
Noting that there was a delay in filing the appeals, the court asked Mehta to file objections to the application seeking condonation of delay.
To this, the law officer said, “I was not aware there was a delay. I will go through the pleas. I have no hesitation in arguing the main matter also”.
On August 25, the single judge had set aside the CIC order, saying only because PM Modi was holding a public office, it did not render all his "personal information" to public disclosure.
It had ruled out any "implicit public interest" in the information sought, and said the RTI Act was enacted to promote transparency in government functioning and "not to provide fodder for sensationalism".
Following an RTI application by one Neeraj, the CIC on December 21, 2016, allowed inspection of records of all students who cleared the BA exam in 1978 -- the year Prime Minister Modi also passed it.
The single judge had passed the combined order in six petitions, including the one filed by the Delhi University, challenging the CIC order by which the varsity was directed to disclose the details related to Prime Minister Modi's bachelor degree.
The Delhi University's counsel had sought the CIC order to be set aside but said the varsity had no objection in showing its records to the court.
The single judge had opined the educational qualifications were not in the nature of any statutory requirement for holding any public office, or discharging official responsibilities.
The situation might have been different, had educational qualifications been a pre-requisite for eligibility to a specific public office, the judge had said, calling the CIC's approach "thoroughly misconceived".
The high court had also set aside the CIC order which directed the CBSE to provide copies of Class 10 and 12 records of former Union minister Smriti Irani.
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Two arrested in K'taka for assaulting minors, uploading CSAM content
Bengaluru (PTI): Two men were arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting two minor girls, recording the acts on mobile phones and uploading the videos online as child sexual abuse material, police said on Thursday.
The accused have been identified as Kiran Kumar (29), hailing from Chitradurga district, and Aditya M K (20), hailing from Shivamogga district, they said.
A probe was initiated after information was received from the NCRP portal regarding a suspected instance of creation of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) for online dissemination, police said.
Accordingly, a case was registered at Kaggalipura Police Station under relevant sections of the IT Act on May 10, they added.
Investigation revealed that two minor girl victims were exploited and videos were created and uploaded to the internet. The child victims have subsequently recorded their statements as per procedure and further necessary legal steps have been taken, Pronab Mohanty Director General of Police, Cyber Command, said in a statement.
Based on the statements of the victims, the accused persons, who allegedly assaulted the minors, recorded the acts on mobile phones and uploaded the videos online, were arrested, he said.
Following the probe, sections 65(2) (rape) and 70 (gangrape) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with relevant sections of the POCSO Act, have been added to the FIR, police said.
Officials collected relevant information and on May 12, arrested the accused persons and seized three mobile phones belonging to them, in which the videos had allegedly been recorded, he said.
The accused were later produced before the court and taken into police custody for further investigation, he added.
According to him, in CSAM cases, police usually apprehend offenders who have downloaded such content or have kept them in their possession after obtaining them from elsewhere, usually the internet.
"The present case is one of the very few instances where content creators and uploaders have been apprehended," Mohanty added.
