The Gujarat High Court on Thursday declined to stay the summons issued to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and AAP Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Singh by a magistrate court in a criminal defamation case filed by Gujarat University over Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s academic degree.
The Bench of Justice J.C. Doshi on Thursday issued notices to Gujarat University and the State government and posted the matter for a detailed hearing on November 3.
A local court in Ahmedabad, which is conducting the trial in defamation case, is scheduled to take up the matter on October 14.
Senior advocate Rebecca John, while appearing for the AAP leaders, urged the court to at least pass an interim relief to stay the hearing in the local court till the disposal of the petition in the High Court. However, the court ruled out any interim relief and stated that it would hear their plea at the earliest.
The metropolitan court had summoned Mr. Kejriwal and Mr. Singh on April 15 in the defamation case filed by the varsity over their “sarcastic” and “derogatory” statements in connection with the Prime Minister’s degree, contending that the remarks had tarnished the image and reputation of the university.
Gujarat University’s Registrar Piyush Patel had filed a defamation case against the two AAP leaders over their comments after the High Court set aside an order of the Chief Information Commissioner on Mr. Modi’s degree.
The two leaders had filed revision applications in the sessions court challenging the summons issued by the metropolitan court. However, the sessions court on August 7 rejected their plea for an interim stay on the trial after which they approached the High Court.
