New Delhi, Jan 22 (IANS) The Delhi High Court Friday dismissed a petition seeking disqualification of Congress president Sonia Gandhi as a Member of Parliament (MP) for receiving an award from the Belgian government and imposed a fine of Rs.10,000 on the petitioner for misleading the country.

The appellant P. Rajan had filed the petition through his counsel Sebastian Paul challenging an award to Gandhi by the Belgian government in 2006.

A division bench of Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice Veena Birbal dismissed the petition filed by Rajan and imposed a fine of Rs.10,000 on him, saying: 'This petition is misleading as the same petition was considered earlier also and the same was dismissed.'

Last year, Janata Party president Subramanian Swamy had filed a similar petition. The court had dismissed the same saying there was no need for an inquiry into the matter.

Gandhi was awarded the Order of Leopold, the second highest civilian award of Belgium, and an honorary doctorate degree during her visit to that country in November 2006.