Today, On 13th January, In the PM Modi Degree Defamation Case, Gujarat High Court denied separate trials and dismissed the appeals filed by Arvind Kejriwal and Sanjay Singh. The case was based on claims that their remarks about the university and PM Modi’s degree were sarcastic and derogatory.
The Gujarat High Court dismissed appeals from AAP leaders Arvind Kejriwal and Sanjay Singh concerning lower court rulings that had rejected their requests for separate trials in a defamation case related to their comments about PM Narendra Modi’s educational qualifications.
Justice MR Mengdey, presiding over a single bench, turned down the pleas from Kejriwal, the former Delhi chief minister, and Singh, a Rajya Sabha member, following the trial and city sessions courts’ dismissal of their applications.
The defamation case was initiated by Piyush Patel, the registrar of Gujarat University, who cited the “sarcastic and derogatory” remarks made by the two AAP leaders regarding the university in relation to PM Modi’s degree.
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The leaders sought separate trials on various grounds, asserting that the accusations against them were distinct and that the incidents occurred on different dates.
The court issued summons, determining that there appeared to be a prima facie case against both under section 500 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Kejriwal and Singh allegedly made these comments in April 2023, after the Gujarat High Court overturned the Chief Information Commissioner’s order to disclose PM Modi’s degree. The remarks were reportedly made during press conferences and on social media, including Twitter, aimed at Gujarat University.
The complainant argued that the statements harmed the reputation of Gujarat University, which has built a respected standing in the public eye. He claimed that the remarks were sarcastic and intended to damage the university’s reputation, widely shared through various media platforms with this intent.
The leaders’ request for separate trials was eventually rejected by the court, leading them to file an appeal in the sessions court, which also dismissed their pleas on December 15 of the previous year.
The court noted that both leaders made the statements on April 1 and 2, 2023, as members of the same political party, suggesting they were “engaged in one transaction, animated by a common purpose,” indicating continuity in their actions.