The Delhi High Court on Monday gave the Delhi University time till November 20 to verify the authenticity of the university degree of its students’ union president, Ankiv Baisoya, PTI reported.

Baisoya, a leader of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, was elected the president of Delhi University Students’ Union on September 13, but has since been accused of furnishing a fake marksheet and certificate from Tamil Nadu’s Thiruvalluvar University while applying to Delhi University for the postgraduate course that he is now enrolled in.

On October 30, the High Court had given the university till November 12 to carry out the verification. The two-month period within which fresh elections can be held expires on November 13.

The court was hearing a petition filed by National Students’ Union of India leader Sunny Chillar seeking that Baisoya’s election be declared void. Chillar in his plea cited several news reports, which showed that the Thiruvalluvar University registrar has “unambiguously and unequivocally” declared that Baisoya’s certificate was “fake and forged”.

The registrar of Thiruvalluvar University on October 4 had written to Tamil Nadu’s principal secretary of education stating that Baisoya had never been a student of the university as he claimed to be, and a certificate he had submitted to gain admission for a post-graduate course in Delhi University was fake.

Chillar, who was runner-up in the students’ union election, has demanded a time-bound inquiry into the allegation that Baisoya gained admission to the university by producing a fake degree.

The university was “deliberately delaying” the verification of Baisoya’s documents so as to benefit the ABVP, claimed Chillar. In case Baisoya’s election is set aside, fresh polls to the post cannot be held two months after the results have been declared. According to the election guidelines set forth by the Lyngdoh Committee, fresh elections can only be held if a post falls vacant within two months of the declaration of results.

If Baisoya is removed after two months, the post will be taken over by its vice president Shakti Singh, who is also an ABVP leader. The ABVP has dismissed the allegations against Baisoya and claimed that Delhi University had given him admission after verifying his documents.

In a statement, the NSUI condemned the university administration’s “dilatory tactics”. “The DUSU election process and its aftermath underscore the complete institutional capture of Delhi University by the Bharatiya Janata Party and its affiliates,” it claimed.