Srinagar, Aug 28: The nomination papers of Sarjan Ahmad Wagay, popularly known as Cleric Sarjan Barkati, were rejected by the Returning Officer for the 36 Zainapora Assembly constituency. The rejection came after the candidate failed to submit the mandatory Oath Certificate, as required under Section 16 of the J&K Reorganization Act 2019, an official told Asian News Hub.
He said, the nomination papers were filed by an authorized representative of Barkati on August 27, 2024, just minutes before the 3 PM deadline. However, during scrutiny, it was found that the papers lacked the essential Oath Certificate, which must be signed by the Superintendent of Central Jail Srinagar, where Barkati is currently detained.
The Returning Officer provided the authorized representative with a checklist and instructed that the necessary documents, including the Oath Certificate, be submitted by 11 AM on August 28, 2024. Despite this, the required certificate was neither provided on time nor in the proper format. An incomplete Oath Certificate was sent via WhatsApp at 1:48 PM, but it lacked the necessary endorsement from the Jail Superintendent, confirming that the oath had been made within the stipulated time, he said.
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He said given the mandatory nature of the Oath requirement, the Returning Officer had no option but to reject Barkati’s nomination at the time of scrutiny.
