PM Modi Degree Row: SC Rejects Kejriwal's Plea Against HC Refusal To Stay Defamation Case Against Him
PM Modi Degree Row: The Gujarat HC previously refused to grant any interim relief to Arvind Kejriwal and AAP's Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh on a plea seeking a stay on proceedings in a criminal defamation complaint.
The Supreme Court on Friday rejected Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's plea against the High Court order on his request for a stay on proceedings in a criminal defamation complaint filed by Gujarat University in the case pertaining to PM Narendra Modi's academic degree, reported news agency PTI. The Gujarat High Court previously declined to grant interim relief to Arvind Kejriwal and Aam Aadmi Party's Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh in relation to a plea seeking to stay proceedings in a criminal defamation complaint lodged by Gujarat University.
According to news agency ANI, the top court noted that Kejriwal’s plea to stay the trial is pending in the High Court and expressed hope that the High Court will decide the matter on the listed date, August 29.
The Gujarat University complaint pertains to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's academic degree. The court's decision stipulates that no relief can be provided until their revision plea, which challenges a Metropolitan Court order that issued summons to them, is resolved.
Justice Samir J. Dave, presiding over the bench, passed the order after considering the arguments presented by Chief Minister Kejriwal's counsel, Senior Advocate Mihir Joshi, and Public Prosecutor Mitesh Amin.
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As per PTI's report, Justice Samir Dave observed that both leaders had previously committed to the sessions court that they would appear before the metropolitan court to provide their statements.
"You must be present... avoiding the court is not an option," the judge remarked, as quoted by the report.
It is worth noting that a metropolitan court in Ahmedabad had previously summoned Kejriwal and Singh to appear on August 11 in connection with the defamation case initiated by Gujarat University due to alleged derogatory remarks made about Prime Minister Narendra Modi's academic credentials.
On August 5, the City Civil & Sessions Court in Ahmedabad dismissed the plea by Kejriwal and Singh to suspend the trial proceedings pending the resolution of their revision plea, as reported by PTI. Subsequently, both leaders contested this decision and approached the Gujarat High Court. Additionally, the duo sought the court's directive to expedite the hearing of the revision plea.
Notably, Gujarat University Registrar Piyush Patel filed a defamation case against the AAP leaders following their comments subsequent to the Gujarat High Court's nullification of the Chief Information Commissioner's ruling regarding PM Modi's degree.
The complaint noted that in press conferences and on Twitter, the AAP leaders made statements deemed "defamatory" by the complainant. The statements targeted the university's handling of Modi's degree, it said, as reported by PTI.
The complaint further asserted that their remarks against Gujarat University were both defamatory and aimed at tarnishing the institution's reputation.
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