LI Network
Published on: February 16, 2024 at 14:41 IST
The Gujarat High Court has rejected the pleas of Aam Aadmi Party leaders Arvind Kejriwal and Sanjay Singh to quash summons issued against them in a criminal defamation case related to their comments on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s educational qualifications.
In the case filed by Gujarat University, the high court dismissed the revision applications challenging the trial court’s summons.
Justice Hasmukh Suthar ruled against Kejriwal and Singh, instructing them to present their submissions before the trial Court.
The leaders sought to have the summons quashed, arguing that Gujarat University should have filed the defamation case in a sessions court instead of a magistrate court.
The metropolitan court had summoned Kejriwal and Singh last year in response to a defamation case filed by Gujarat University regarding their “sarcastic” and “derogatory” statements about PM Modi’s degree.
Despite their revision application being dismissed by the sessions court, the high court rejected their plea for an interim stay.
Facing the charges, Kejriwal and Singh approached the Supreme Court, which also declined to entertain their pleas. The Gujarat High Court directed the sessions court to complete the hearing within ten days, assigning the matter to a new bench.
The defamation case originated after the Central Information Commission (CIC) order on PM Modi’s educational qualification was set aside by the High Court in March last year.
The CIC had directed the Delhi University and Gujarat University to provide information to Kejriwal on Modi’s degrees in April 2016, which was later stayed by the Gujarat High Court after Gujarat University appealed against the order.