Modi's Degree Defamation Case: No Stay On Summons To Arvind Kejriwal, Sanjay Singh By Gujarat High Court

The Gujarat High Court on Thursday (12 October) declined to stay the summons issued to AAP leaders Arvind Kejriwal and Sanjay Singh in a criminal defamation case filed by Gujarat University over Prime Minister Narendra Modi's degree.

Justice JC Doshi, while hearing their joint petitions for quashing the summons, issued notices to Gujarat University and the state government, scheduling a detailed hearing for 3 November, Deccan Herald reported.

Although the magistrate's court in Ahmedabad, overseeing the trial and issuing summons in April, is set to consider the matter on 14 October, senior advocate Rebecca John, representing the AAP leaders, urged Justice Doshi for interim relief before that hearing.

With the matter looming before the magistrate's court, John requested an order to stay the trial until the petition is heard, emphasising that without interim protection, the current hearing would be futile.

Advocate Aum Kotwal, representing the AAP leaders, sought consideration of an "adjournment application" to be filed on 14 October against the trial court proceedings. However, Justice Doshi refused to entertain such an application, directing the petitioners to seek relief from the trial court.

The HC judge also rejected Kotwal's request for an order instructing the trial court to consider the adjournment application in the future. Kejriwal and Singh have challenged the sessions court's 14 September decision to dismiss their revision applications against the trial court's summons in the criminal defamation case filed by Gujarat University.

The metropolitan court had summoned Kejriwal and Singh on 15 April, responding to the university's defamation case over their "sarcastic" and "derogatory" statements regarding PM Modi's degree. The statements were deemed defamatory, intentionally made to harm the university's reputation, and were presented at press conferences and on Twitter.

Gujarat University's registrar filed the defamation case after the high court set aside the Chief Information Commissioner's order on Modi's degree. The AAP leaders' revision applications were rejected by the sessions court, prompting them to approach the High Court.