The Supreme Court today stayed the criminal defamation proceedings pending in a Gujarat trial court against Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supremo Arvind Kejriwal and MP Sanjay Singh over their remarks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s academic degree.
A bench comprising Justice BR Gavai and Justice Sandeep Mehta passed the order and asked the Gujarat High Court to expeditiously dispose of the plea for interim relief lodged by the ministers. The Supreme Court order came on a plea moved by Kejriwal and Singh seeking the transfer of the case to a trial court outside Gujarat.
However, the top Court bench declined to entertain the request to transfer the trial court proceedings outside Gujarat. The bench further requested the high court to hear the appeal for a stay or at least the prayer for interim relief within four weeks. The Supreme Court bench added that till the time the high court decides on grant or refusal of interim relief, the proceedings in the trial court shall remain stayed.
Appearing for Sanjay Singh, Senior Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi said that the intent is to hold his client guilty and disqualify him even as his appeal seeking stay is pending before the high court. The Senior Advocate noted that Sanjay Singh has not spoken a word against the Gujarat university, which is the complaint in the case.
Meanwhile, the bench told Singhvi that if a disqualification order is passed, the Supreme Court is there to take care of it. The bench added that they will direct the high court to decide the matter within a month, mentioning that the trial proceedings otherwise have to be stayed as long as Sanjay Singh is in custody. The bench further underlined that in a defamation case, the acquisition has to be read over to the person.
Senior Advocate Singhvi stated that the university is state-government funded and overall under the Central government’s control. When the bench asked why Singhvi should have apprehension, he said that it is about the overall system, adding that although in the petition he has requested for transfer to Kolkata, it can be anywhere else. He asserted that he said in Kolkata as it is a state where his political party is not affiliated.
Earlier on December 28, the Gujarat Court sought the production of MP Sanjay Singh even as it was informed that he was under arrest in connection with an alleged money laundering case. The defamation complaint against Arvind Kejriwal and Sanjay Singh was filed by the Gujarat University which alleged that the two politicians made defamatory statements against it for not disclosing the degree of PM Narendra Modi.