The summons were issued under Sections 500 (punishment for defamation) and 114 (abetting an offence) of the Indian Penal Code as well as Section 202 (postponement of issue of process) of the Criminal Procedure Code after Jay Shah’s counsel SV Raju contended in the court that “there was a prima facie case of defamation and the article was published with the intent and knowledge to defame.”

Talking to the reporters Raju was quoted as saying, “There was an ulterior motive in publishing the article and the timing was deliberate to make it an issue for the (Gujarat) elections.”

The court will hear the case next on November 13.