Do not make it difficult and involve lawyers: Supreme Court on Lalit Modi's outburst against Mukul Rohatgi

The Supreme Court on Friday refused to pass any order on the remarks made by businessman Lalit Modi against Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi on social media, and listed the Modi family dispute for hearing in July [Lalit Kumar Modi v. Dr Bina Modi and ors]..A Bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and MM Sundresh observed that Modi's comments were nothing but an outburst of a family member."It is nothing but an outburst of a family member...But do not make it difficult and involve lawyers in this," the Court said.Appearing for Modi, Senior Advocate Harish Salve informed the Court that his client's remarks against Rohatgi were taken down, after which the Court stated, "We are not passing any orders, use your good offices to sort this.".The Court was hearing an application pertaining to the remarks made by the former Indian Premier League (IPL) Chairman against former Attorney General for India Rohatgi.Modi, who is embroiled in a property dispute with his mother Bina Modi and sister Charu, had taken to social media to launch a tirade against Rohatgi, who is representing his mother in the case. Modi had taken exception to the senior lawyer calling him a 'fugitive'.The businessman, who is currently residing in London, later apologised to Rohatgi on social media..The dispute arose out of a family trust deed executed in London by KK Modi as settlor/managing trustee and Bina, Lalit, Charu and Samir as trustees. The deed was made in pursuance to an oral family settlement recorded in February, 2006. After the demise of KK Modi in November 2019, disputes emerged amongst the surviving parties. While Lalit contended that all the assets were to be sold, Bina Modi and others contended that on a true construction of the trust deed, no such sale had been triggered.Subsequently, on February 18, 2020, Lalit Modi filed an application for emergency measures before the International Court of Arbitration (ICA) of the International Chambers of Commerce (ICC) to restrain Bina from holding herself out as Managing Trustee of the trust.Bina, Charu and Samir subsequently moved the Delhi High Court for redressal of their grievance. In March 2020, the High Court had dismissed these pleas.However, on appeal, a Division Bench of the High Court held that the suit against the initiation of arbitration proceedings in Singapore was maintainable. Modi then moved the Supreme Court against this order.The parties had agreed to mediation before the International Arbitration and Mediation Centre at Hyderabad in December 2021. Retired Supreme Court judges Justices Vikramajit Sen and Kurian Joseph were appointed as mediators in the dispute..Senior Advocates Harish Salve and Abhishek Manu Singhvi appeared for Lalit Modi. Senior Advocates Kapil Sibal and Shyam Divan appeared for the respondents including Bina Modi.[Read order]