Ashneer Grover and family tell Delhi High Court they will furnish bank statements in sealed cover

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday asked Ashneer Grover, his wife Madhuri Jain Grover and some of their family members who were associated with fintech firm BharatPe to file their bank account statements in a sealed cover in four weeks. .Justice Rekha Palli asked them to provide a copy of the account statements for the period between July 1, 2018 and April 31, 2022. The Court directed that a copy of the bank statements be provided to BharatPe as well after the company furnishes an affidavit stating that it will not disclose the contents to any third party.“After some arguments, defendants [Ashneer Grover, Madhuri Jain Grover and others] say they have no objection in filing the copies of the said bank accounts in a sealed cover and also furnishing a copy to the plaintiff [BharatPe] subject to them filing an affidavit specifically undertaking that they will not share the contents with any third parties. Plaintiff is agreeable. Let the defendants file the same in four weeks. The copies of all the bank statements be placed in sealed cover,” the Court recorded in its order. .While dealing with Grover’s applications seeking production of certain documents like audit reports of BharatPe, Justice Palli said that she will take it up after examining the status report by the Delhi Police’s Economic Offences Wing (EOW). The EOW is probing fraud allegations against the Grovers.“Even though the defendant numbers 1 and 2 (Madhuri Jain Grover and Ashneer Grover), said that their application wherein they have sought production of certain documents be taken up today, I am of the view that they be taken up after the copy of the status report by Economic Offences Wing is brought on record,” the order as dictated in the Court read.The matter will now be taken up on February 12, 2024..The Bench was dealing with a suit filed by BharatPe to restrain Grover from making defamatory allegations against the fintech firm.In its suit, BharatPe has claimed damages of over ₹88.67 crore from Grover, his wife and his brother under various heads. BharatPe also filed applications seeking details of Grover and his family’s bank accounts and properties owned by them.The allegations have been refuted by Grover who has maintained that he was unlawfully ousted from the company..Recently, while dealing with the suit, the Delhi High Court had imposed a fine of ₹2 lakh on Grover for violating its order and using ‘unparliamentary’ language on social media against his former employers..Delhi High Court issues notice in BharatPe suit to restrain Ashneer Grover, family from 'vicious, vitriolic campaign' against company