New Delhi, Auguest 25, 2023 : In a recent development, the Supreme Court of India dismissed a plea submitted by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal challenging a decision by the Gujarat High Court. The Gujarat High Court had refused to intervene in the orders issued by a metropolitan court, which demanded Kejriwal’s personal appearance in a criminal defamation case involving Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s academic degree.
A bench comprising Justices Sanjiv Khanna and S.V.N Bhatti declined to issue a notice for the special leave petition. The bench stated, “We are not inclined to issue notice in the present special leave petition as the matter is still subjudice before the High Court and fixed for hearing on August 29.” The Supreme Court expressed its hope and trust that the Gujarat High Court will make a decision on the pending petition during the scheduled hearing on August 29.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing Gujarat University, was allowed by the Supreme Court to present all his contentions before the High Court. The case revolves around derogatory statements allegedly made by Arvind Kejriwal and AAP MP Sanjay Singh regarding Prime Minister Modi’s academic degree. A metropolitan court in Ahmedabad had summoned both politicians for the case on August 11.
The Gujarat High Court, earlier on August 11, had denied interim relief to AAP MP Sanjay Singh in connection with a criminal defamation complaint filed by Gujarat University. The relief was withheld until the resolution of their revision plea challenging the issued summons.
The City Civil & Sessions Court Ahmedabad, on August 5, had rejected Kejriwal and Singh’s plea to halt the proceedings in the trial until the revision plea was settled. In response, the AAP leaders approached the Gujarat High Court, seeking an expedited hearing for their revision plea.
Kejriwal argued that since the order of the Magistrate’s court had been contested, the Sessions Court should have suspended the defamation case proceedings until the resolution of the revision plea. The Gujarat High Court pointed out that Kejriwal had previously given an undertaking to appear before the court. Thus, the High Court emphasized that Kejriwal should not evade his appearance before the Court.
