Gujarat HC issues notice to university over PM Modi's degree controversy, next hearing on Nov 3

Ahmedabad, Oct 12 (IANS) The Gujarat High Court on Thursday served a notice to Gujarat University (GU), addressing its Registrar, Piyush Patel.

The development followed the petitions filed by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Sanjay Singh. The dispute pertains to defamation complaint regarding Prime Minister Narendra Modi's academic credentials.

Kejriwal and Singh, entangled in this defamation case in Ahmedabad, received their first summons for a court appearance on April 15, with a subsequent summons on May 23. They approached the High Court on September 16, aiming to nullify the April summons.

The AAP leaders are contesting the summons previously issued to them by an Ahmedabad magistrate court following a criminal defamation complaint from GU. They are also pressing for the reversal of an Ahmedabad sessions court decision that supported the original summons from the magistrate court.

However, the trial in the magistrate court concerning the criminal defamation is set to commence on October 14. Justice J.C Doshi denied the petitioner's requests for a trial delay or postponement while their appeal is under the high court's consideration.

The court scheduled the next hearing for November 3, by which the notice should be responded to.