"This is not a street fight": Delhi High Court asks Ashneer Grover, BharatPe not to use unparliamentary language

The Delhi High Court Tuesday asked former BharatPe Managing Director (MD) Ashneer Grover and the fintech firm's (BharatPe) officials not to use ‘unparliamentary’ and ‘defamatory’ language against each other..Justice Prateek Jalan expressed displeasure at the language used by Grover and some of the BharatPe officials targeting each other on the social media and in the press. “This is not a street fight between some rival gangs in the corner of the city. These are corporate people, educated people, articulate people who can surely adjudicate their grievances against each other in a more refined way,” the bench remarked.It added,“If you have both decided to enter the gutter, then please remain there,” the bench remarked..The Court was dealing with an application filed by BharatPe stating that ever since the Delhi Police’s Economic Offences Wing (EOW) registered an FIR against Grover and his family members, he has been making defamatory tweets. The application was moved by BharatPe in its already pending defamation suit in relation to Grover’s earlier tweets.While dealing with the case, the Court had in January 2023 asked Grover’s counsel to advise him to maintain decorum..Senior Advocates Rajiv Nayar and Dayan Krishnan appeared for BharatPe today and referred to some of Grover’s tweets which alleged that the firm has spent several crores on “lawyers and fixers”.Krishnan stated that if Grover has issues with the BharatPe’s complaint against him and Delhi Police’s FIR, he can challenge the same under criminal proceedings. Advocate Giriraj Subramanium appeared for Grover and highlighted some of the tweets by the BharatPe officials. Subramanium said that BharatPe officials have used similar language against his clients on social media and levelled allegations against Grover in the press..After examining the content, the bench remarked that such statements should not be made by two sides.Subramanium stated that he will advise his client to use more decorous language.“Issue notice, Mr Subramanium learned counsel for all respondents accepts notice. Reply be filed by May 20, rejoinder by May 22. List before the roster bench on May 24. While keeping the application pending for adjudication on contest, the learned counsel on all sides have requested to advise their clients to avoid recourse to unparliamentary and defamatory publication against each other,” the Court ordered. .The Delhi Police had on May 10, 2023 registered an FIR against Grover, his wife Madhuri Jain and other family members for alleged misappropriation of funds. BharatPe alleged that the total loss to them amounted to nearly ₹81 crores. Grovers and BharatPe have been involved in the legal tussle ever since the former were ousted from the company.