Arvind Kejriwal and Sanjay Singh have moved the Gujarat High Court challenging the sessions court orders in the Gujarat University defamation case. Their plea seeks relief against the directives issued in the criminal proceedings initiated by Gujarat University.
Former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh approached the Gujarat High Court to challenge the orders issued by a city sessions court in connection with a criminal defamation case filed by Gujarat University (GU).
This case centers around their alleged comments concerning Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s educational qualifications made in 2023.
The leaders turned to the high court after the sessions court dismissed their requests last week.
Kejriwal requested a separate trial for himself and Singh, arguing that the case did not present any allegations of criminal conspiracy or actions undertaken for a common criminal goal.
During the hearing, the legal representatives for both Kejriwal and Singh presented arguments in favor of their motions, while the counsels for GU, Nirupam Nanavati and Amit Nair, countered by claiming that the applications were intended to stall the proceedings. Justice M R Mengdey, who presided over the case, has reserved his decision.
The defamation case originated from a complaint filed by Gujarat University in April 2023 before a metropolitan court. The university claimed that the statements made by both Kejriwal and Singh regarding its qualifications were defamatory.
This complaint followed the quashing of a Central Information Commission (CIC) order by the Gujarat High Court, which had directed GU to disclose information about the Prime Minister’s degree under the Right to Information Act.
Subsequently, the metropolitan court acknowledged the complaint and summoned both leaders. The sessions court, while rejecting Kejriwal’s request for a separate trial, noted that the two accused appeared to have acted in a coordinated manner as part of a unified objective.
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The court remarked that the alleged defamatory statements and the posting of related video content suggested a continuity of action, making Section 223(a) of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) applicable.
Sanjay Singh, in a distinct application, sought to quash the plea recorded under Section 251 of the CrPC, which had been registered in his absence but in the presence of his counsel, due to his inability to attend the court personally.
The sessions court dismissed this plea, stating that it could not annul an order that originated from the instructions of the accused himself.
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