Modi's degree case: Gujarat court summons Kejriwal, Sanjay Singh again
A Gujarat court on Wednesday summoned Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Sanjay Singh again, ordering them to appear in court on June 13. They were ordered to appear in court on Wednesday, but requested an exemption. Notably, Gujarat University filed a defamation lawsuit against the pair for their statements against the university regarding PM Narendra Modi's academic degree.
Why does this story matter?
- The fresh summons came after Kejriwal and Singh failed to appear in court on Wednesday.
- Both the AAP leaders have been accused of defaming Gujarat University (GU) with their "sarcastic" and "derogatory" remarks while questioning the veracity of PM Modi's postgraduate degree from the university.
- According to the complaint, their remarks were defamatory and designed to harm the varsity's reputation.
AAP leaders didn't receive previous summons
The fresh summons was issued by the Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Jayesh Chovatiya following appeals by AAP leaders' lawyers seeking an exemption. The court had earlier found the GU's complaint tenable under Section 500 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Reportedly, Chovatiya's predecessor, Additional Chief Metropolitan SJ Panchal, listed a fresh hearing after he found that the duo didn't receive the earlier summons.
Degrees personal information, can't be disclosed under RTI: Gujarat HC
In March, the Gujarat High Court set aside a 2016 order by the Central Information Commission (CIC) that directed the Gujarat University to furnish PM Modi's degree to Kejriwal. "Educational documents including degrees fall within the ambit of personal information of a citizen," the court said, adding that such documents are exempted from disclosure under Section 8(1)(j) of the Right to Information (RTI) Act.
What statements prompted defamation suit
The complaint by the GU quoted statements from Kejriwal, saying, "If there is a degree and it is genuine, then why is it not being given?" It also quoted Singh's statement, saying, "They (Gujarat University) are trying to prove the PM's fake degree as genuine."
