The Supreme Court on Monday refused to qaush summons issued to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Sanjay Singh by the trial court in the criminal defamation case filed by the Gujarat University over his alleged remarks about Prime Minister Narendra Modi's degree.
Gujarat University registrar Piyush Patel filed a defamation case against Singh and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal over their alleged comments against the university at a press conference after the Gujarat high court set aside a Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) order that directed the university to furnish information about PM Modi's educational degrees to them under the Right to Information (RTI) Act.
In March 2023, the Gujarat High Court quashed a CIC order, which directed the Gujarat University to provide information regarding PM Modi's educational degrees to Arvind Kejriwal. The high court held Kejriwal's RTI appeal to be politically motivated.
In August 2023, the apex court refused to entertain Delhi CM Kejriwal's petition challenging the high court order that rejected his request to stay the criminal defamation proceedings filed by the Gujarat University.
After a metropolitan court in Gujarat summoned Kejriwal and Singh in the case over their alleged derogatory statements in connection with PM Modi's educational degrees, the duo filed a revision application in the sessions court against these summons. The sessions court also rejected their petition for an interim stay on the trial, after which they approached the high court.
The Gujarat high court rejected both pleas moved by Kejriwal and Sanjay Singh seeking an interim stay on the criminal defamation proceedings against them in August 2023.