High Court Issues Notice to Gujarat University; Next Hearing on Kejriwal and Sanjay Singh’s Defamation Case Scheduled for November 3

Gujarat High Court refrains from staying the defamation case against Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal and AAP’s Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh, issues notice to Gujarat University for November 3 hearing.

DESK – Justice JC Doshi of the Gujarat High Court has adjourned the defamation case hearing involving Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Aam Aadmi Party’s Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh to November 3.

The bench advised the involved parties to seek adjournment from the trial court as they have been doing since the initial summons were issued in April.

Senior Advocate Rebecca John, representing the AAP leaders, was unsuccessful in her plea to have the case proceedings stayed until the petitions by Kejriwal and Singh were settled.

The High Court bench responded to the University’s allegations by issuing a notice to Gujarat University.

During the proceedings, John contended that the university falls under the definition of the State as per Article 12 of the Constitution.

In the ongoing defamation case, the Registrar of Gujarat University, Dr Piyush M. Patel, has accused both AAP leaders of making derogatory and defamatory statements targeting the institution over Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s educational degree.

Kejriwal’s comments at an April 1 press conference and Singh’s remarks a day later led to the criminal defamation complaint filed by the university.

The additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Jayeshbhai Chovatiya earlier opined that the comments seemed to tarnish Gujarat University’s reputation.

Both AAP leaders had approached the High Court to quash the summons, initially issued by a Magistrate Court in Ahmedabad, against them.

Kejriwal and Singh had also challenged the September 2023 sessions court order which upheld the summons.