The Supreme Court on Monday declined to interfere with a summons issued by a trial court to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Sanjay Singh in connection with a defamation case filed against him by Gujarat University over Singh's comments on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's academic qualifications [Sanjay Singh vs Piyush M Patel and Anr].A bench of Justices BR Gavai and Sandeep Mehta has dismissed a plea filed by Sanjay Singh to quash the summons issued to him in the matter by an Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate.The Gujarat High Court had earlier refused to grant Singh any relief in the matter, and the Supreme Court has now agreed with the High Court's decision."We are not inclined. Sorry," the Court told Singh's counsel today, while refusing to entertain Singh's appeal.The defamation case in the matter names Delhi Chief Minister and AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal as well, in addition to Sanjay Singh.Both AAP leaders had questioned the apparent reluctance of the Gujarat University to disclose copies of degree certificates awarded to Prime Minister Modi.In March 2023, the Gujarat High Court ruled that the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) need not furnish Modi's degree certificates under the Right to Information Act (RTI Act).Soon after, Gujarat University filed a complaint accusing the two politicians of defamation.A trial court then summoned both Kejriwal and Singh in this defamation case in April last year, prompting the duo to move the Gujarat High Court seeking relief.On February 26, the Gujarat High Court refused to quash the summons issued to Kejriwal and Singh. The High Court added that right to free speech cannot mean that a citizen can defame the other, and that the university was “an identifiable group and determined class” for the purpose of filing a defamation complaint.This verdict was then challenged before the Supreme Court by Singh, which today dismissed his appeal.The top court, however, clarified that any observations by the High Court in the matter should not influence the defamation trial against the accused politicians.
TAGS: Supreme Court AAP Leader Sanjay Singh Defamation Case Summons Upheld
