PM Modi's degree: Gujarat HC refuses to stay summons issued to Kejriwal, Singh in defamation case
Ahmedabad (PTI): The Gujarat High Court on Thursday refused to stay the summons issued to AAP leaders Arvind Kejriwal and Sanjay Singh by a magistrate's court in a criminal defamation case filed by the Gujarat University over Prime Minister Narendra Modi's degree.
While hearing their common petitions seeking quashing of the summons issued by the trial court earlier, Justice JC Doshi on Thursday issued notices to the Gujarat University and state government and posted the matter for a detailed hearing on November 3.
Since the magistrate's court in Ahmedabad, which is conducting the trial in the defamation case and had issued summons to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders in April, would take up the matter on October 14, senior advocate Rebecca John, appearing for the AAP leaders, urged Justice Doshi to at least give interim relief ahead of that hearing.
"The matter is coming up day after tomorrow (Oct 14) before the magistrate, so if you can pass an order that till this petition is not heard (there will be a stay on trial)...If no interim protection is granted, the whole exercise (of today's hearing) will be in futility," urged John, who appeared virtually.
However, Justice Doshi refused to grant any relief at this stage saying, "No, right now we can't. We can hear you at the earliest, but no order will be issued (today)."
When advocate Aum Kotwal, appearing in person for the AAP leaders, urged the court to consider their "adjournment application" they intend to file on October 14 against the trial court proceedings, Justice Doshi refused to entertain such an application and asked the petitioners to approach the trial court for relief.
The HC judge also refused Kotwal's request to pass an order asking the trial court to consider the adjournment application if filed before it in the days to come.
AAP convener and Delhi Chief Minister Kejriwal and party's Rajya Sabha member Singh have challenged before the HC the September 14 order of the sessions court dismissing their revision applications against the trial court's summons in the criminal defamation case filed by the Gujarat University.
Sessions court judge JM Brahmbhatt had earlier upheld the decision of the trial court to summon the two leaders saying its order was "neither illegal nor erroneous".
The metropolitan court here had summoned Kejriwal and Singh on April 15 in the defamation case filed by the varsity over their "sarcastic" and "derogatory" statements in connection with PM's degree.
Gujarat University registrar Piyush Patel had filed a defamation case against the two AAP leaders over their comments after the high court set aside an order of the Chief Information Commissioner on Modi's degree.
The two politicians made "defamatory" statements at press conferences and also on their Twitter (now X) handles targeting the university over Modi's degree, the complainant stated.
Their statements were sarcastic in nature and intentionally made to hurt the prestige of the university, which has established its name among people, it said.
The two leaders had filed revision applications in the sessions court challenging the summons issued by the metropolitan court. However, the sessions court on August 7 rejected their plea for an interim stay on the trial after which they approached the HC.
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Real Madrid fines Valverde and Tchouaméni half a million euros each for altercation
Barcelona (AP): Real Madrid slapped players Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni with half-a-million-euro ($588,000) fines on Friday for their altercation during practice.
The massive fines came a day after the midfielders tussled when the team trained. Valverde said in a post on social media on Thursday that no punches were thrown. But Valverde knocked his head on a table and he suffered a small cut that required a brief hospital visit.
On social media, Valverde initially called it a “meaningless fight” with a teammate and said “everything has been blown out of proportion."
His employers, however, considered it a significant enough breach of team discipline to nail both Valverde and Tchouaméni with fines that bite even the bank account of a top soccer player. The half-a-million euro penalties reflect the reputational damage the club was enduring in a chaotic end to a disappointing season.
In a statement, the 15-time European champion said its disciplinary action was concluded after both players expressed to the club “their complete remorse for what happened and apologized to one another.”
Madrid added they also apologized to their teammates, the coaching staff and club supporters, as well as showing their willingness to accept whatever disciplinary action the club deemed “opportune.”
Tchouaméni was back training with Madrid on Friday, two days before they play at Barcelona in a clasico. Madrid has to win otherwise Barcelona will be crowned La Liga champion.
After being notified of the fine, he posted a public apology to the club and its fans on social media.
“What happened this week in training is unacceptable,” Tchouaméni wrote. "I say this while thinking about the example we are expected to set for young people, whether in football or at school.
“Above all, I am sorry for the image we projected of the club.”
Valverde was not at practice due to the head knock.
Both players are set to play in the World Cup next month, with Tchouaméni playing for France and Valverde for Uruguay.
Chaotic end to a poor season
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The run-in between the players, who for seasons have played side by side in Madrid's midfield, came after they argued this week in previous training sessions. But tempers boiled over on Thursday. Spanish media was rife with reports that the players previously disagreed over the club's decision to let coach Xabi Alonso go after just months on the job.
It was not the only altercation involving Madrid players during training this week. Álvaro Carreras confirmed he was in a “minor” incident with a teammate. Spanish media said he and fellow defender Antonio Rüdiger got into a scuffle.
Álvaro Arbeloa, the coach who was promoted from Madrid's reserve team when Alonso was fired in January, will face tough questions on what went wrong inside the changing room when he gives a press conference on Saturday ahead of the clasico at Camp Nou.
Madrid is facing a second consecutive campaign without a major trophy amid rumors in the Spanish media that club president Florentino Pérez is considering bringing back Jose Mourinho to straighten out his underperforming team.
