The Supreme Court of India has dismissed former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s plea challenging a criminal defamation case filed against him by the Registrar of Gujarat University. This case arises from alleged defamatory comments made by Kejriwal regarding the educational qualifications of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The controversy began in March 2023 when the Gujarat High Court overturned an order from the Central Information Commission that had mandated the release of information about Prime Minister Modi’s college degrees. Kejriwal had requested this information under the Right to Information Act and subsequently held a press conference with fellow Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) member Sanjay Singh. During this event, they made remarks that were deemed “sarcastic” concerning Modi’s degrees. Kejriwal also suggested on social media that Modi’s degree might be fake.
In response to these comments, a criminal defamation case was filed against Kejriwal and Singh by Gujarat University, Modi’s alma mater, under Section 500 of the Indian Penal Code. A Magistrate Court issued summons for Kejriwal, which he contested in court, but the Gujarat High Court ultimately dismissed his challenge.
Kejriwal escalated the matter to the Supreme Court, which noted that it had previously dismissed a similar plea from Sanjay Singh regarding the same issue, emphasizing the need for consistency in judicial decisions. The Supreme Court refrained from commenting on the merits of the case, indicating that such determinations would be made during the actual trial, which has yet to take place. The Court urged both parties to avoid substantive arguments in the current plea.
Adding to his challenges, Kejriwal resigned from his position as chief minister in September and is currently facing multiple pending cases, including allegations of money laundering and defamation involving the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
