Meer Irfan
The nomination of Sarjan Ahmad Wagay, commonly known as Sarjan Barkati, for the upcoming Jammu Kashmir Assembly elections has been rejected by the Returning Officer for the 36-Zainapora constituency.
An official told The Kashmiriyat that the decision came after the nomination papers were found to be missing essential documentation required under Section 16 of the Jammu Kashmir Reorganization Act 2019.
Barkati, who is currently detained in Central Jail Srinagar, had his nomination papers filed by an authorized representative on August 27, 2024, just before the deadline.
However, the submission was missing a mandatory oath certificate, which needed to be signed by the Superintendent of Central Jail, the official said.
According to the Returning Officer, “The oath has to be duly subscribed by the candidate under detention before the Jail Superintendent before the date of scrutiny,” and this certificate “can be filed at the time of scrutiny of nomination papers.”
The Returning Officer issued a checklist to Barkati’s representative, stating that the missing documents, including the oath certificate, must be submitted by 11 a.m. on August 28, 2024.
“Despite this, an incomplete and improperly submitted oath certificate was received via WhatsApp at 1:48 p.m,” he said.
The Returning Officer noted that the certificate “is not the prescribed mode of submission of the oath certificate,” and it also lacked the required certification from the Jail Superintendent.
In light of these deficiencies, the Returning Officer stated that they were “constrained to reject the nomination papers at the time of scrutiny.”