Gujarat: Kejriwal, AAP RS MP Sanjay Singh move court for expeditious hearing on application challenging summons in defamation case

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his Aam Aadmi Party colleague and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh on Monday moved a plea before the sessions court here.

Ahmedabad: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his Aam Aadmi Party colleague and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh on Monday moved a plea before the sessions court here for expeditious hearing of their revision application challenging the summons issued to them by the trial court in a criminal defamation case.

Sessions Judge AV Hirpara said he will pass an order on the application for expeditious hearing on Tuesday.

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The two AAP leaders are facing a criminal defamation case filed by Gujarat University over their “sarcastic” and “derogatory” statements in connection with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s degree.

Kejriwal and Singh sought expeditious hearing of the matter after the court kept it for further hearing on September 16.

Their lawyer Aum Kotwal requested the court to proceed before the connected matters come up for hearing in Gujarat High Court on August 29 and in the metropolitan court on August 31.

Kejriwal and Singh had approached the Gujarat High Court for a stay on the criminal defamation proceedings against them till the disposal of their revision plea in a sessions court.

The HC had, on August 11, issued notice to the state government and Gujarat University Registrar Piyush Patel returnable on August 29. At the same time, it had refused to grant them interim relief.

Meanwhile, the metropolitan court had granted them time to appear before it on August 30 over summons. The court had summoned the two leaders after observing that prima facie there appeared to be a case against them under section 500 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Gujarat University registrar Patel filed a defamation case against the two leaders over their comments after the Gujarat High Court set aside the Chief Information Commissioner’s order on PM Modi’s degree.

As per the complainant, the two AAP leaders made “defamatory” statements in press conferences and on Twitter handles targeting Gujarat University over Modi’s degree.

Patel’s complaint contended that these comments were defamatory and hurt the prestige of Gujarat University, which has established its name among the public.

Their statements were sarcastic and intended to intentionally hurt the prestige of the university, Patel said.