PM degree row: Supreme Court refuses to entertain Kejriwal's plea against HC order [25.8.2023]

The Supreme Court on Friday refused to entertain Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's plea challenging the high court order rejecting his request to stay the criminal defamation proceedings filed by the Gujarat University over his remarks about Prime Minister Narendra Modi's educational qualification.

Gujarat University Registrar Piyush Patel had filed a defamation case against Kejriwal and AAP leader Sanjay Singh over their alleged comments after the Gujarat High Court set aside an order of the Chief Information Commissioner for providing information about Modi's degrees to them under the RTI Act.

A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and SVN Bhatti said it is not issuing notice on the plea as the matter is pending before the Gujarat High Court and is listed for hearing on August 29.

The bench said the Gujarat University and Kejriwal can raise their grievances before the high court.

At the outset, senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, appearing for Kejriwal, said the high court had wrongly refused to grant interim stay on the defamation proceedings against him.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the University, said there was suppression of facts by Kejriwal.


25 Aug 2023