The Gujarat High Court on January 13 dismissed petitions filed by Aam Aadmi Party Leaders Arvind Kejriwal and Sanjay Singh challenging lower court orders in a criminal defamation case related to their 2023 remarks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s academic degree. A single bench headed by Justice M R Mengdey rejected their plea for separate trials, upholding the decisions of the trial court and the Ahmedabad City Sessions Court. The ruling clears the path for the joint criminal proceedings to continue against both leaders.

The case stems from a defamation complaint lodged by Gujarat University in April 2023 following a press conference where Kejriwal and Singh questioned the authenticity of the Prime Minister’s educational qualifications. The university claimed the statements were highly insulting and inflicted serious harm to its institutional reputation. The remarks came shortly after the Gujarat High Court had quashed a Central Information Commission directive to disclose details of Modi’s MA degree, a sequence the complainant highlighted to demonstrate alleged malicious intent.

Kejriwal had sought a separate trial, contending that no joint conspiracy was alleged against him and Singh. The Magistrate Court denied the request, a decision later affirmed by the Sessions Court. The High Court has now confirmed both lower court rulings, effectively ending the leaders’ challenge to bifurcate the proceedings at this stage.

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Sanjay Singh separately contested the Magistrate Court’s procedure of recording his plea under Section 251 of the Criminal Procedure Code in the presence of his counsel, while asserting his innocence and seeking to quash the order. The High Court rejected this challenge as well, reinforcing the validity of the trial court’s actions and allowing the case to move forward without modification.

With the Gujarat High Court’s verdict, the criminal defamation trial involving Kejriwal and Singh will now proceed jointly before the Magistrate Court. The ruling represents a significant legal setback for the AAP leaders in their effort to halt or alter the trajectory of the proceedings initiated by Gujarat University over the controversial statements made in 2023.

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