Supreme Court Declines to Halt Defamation Trial Against Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal Over PM Modi’s Degree Remarks
The Supreme Court, on Friday, declined to issue an interim stay on the defamation proceedings initiated against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal by Gujarat University. The case pertains to comments made by Kejriwal regarding the academic degree of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The apex court, comprising Justices Sanjiv Khanna and SVN Bhatti, observed,
“We are not inclined to issue notice in the SLP, as the matter is still sub-judice before the High Court.”
The court further expressed hope that the Gujarat High Court, which has the petition seeking a stay of the trial pending, would decide on the matter on its scheduled date of August 29.
Kejriwal’s appeal to the Supreme Court came in the wake of the Gujarat High Court’s refusal to grant him interim relief. The Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate in Ahmedabad had previously summoned Kejriwal and co-accused AAP MP Sanjay Singh in connection with the case.
Representing Kejriwal before the Supreme Court, Senior Advocate Dr. Abhishek Manu Singhvi argued that the summoning order was erroneously issued. Elaborating on the case’s background, Singhvi mentioned that a revision petition against the “wrong summoning” order was presented before the Sessions Court. While the Sessions Court did issue a notice on the revision petition, it refrained from staying the trial. Singhvi expressed concerns over the trial court’s rapid progress, noting,
“The trial court is going at breakneck speed. The next date is August 31. The next date of revision is in October 31. The trial court might conclude even it in September.”
However, the bench was reluctant to intervene, given that the High Court is already examining the matter.
Solicitor General of India, Tushar Mehta, representing Gujarat University, contended that Kejriwal’s comments contained “innuendos.” He argued that there was a significant suppression of facts in the case, emphasizing that the trial court had granted an exemption from personal appearance, a detail Kejriwal allegedly omitted in his High Court petition. Addressing this, the Supreme Court bench recorded,
“We must record that a number of pleas have been raised by the Solicitor General on behalf of the Gujarat University. The said pleas can be raised before the High Court.”
Gujarat University has accused Kejriwal of making “sarcastic” and “derogatory” statements that defamed the institution in the context of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s academic credentials. Earlier in March, the Gujarat High Court had quashed an order by the CIC to disclose details of PM Modi’s degree and imposed a fine of Rs. 25,000 on Kejriwal.
