Sarosh Zaiwalla, Abhishek Manu Singhvi bury the hatchet in defamation case over Honour Bound

Senior Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi and London-based lawyer Sarosh Zaiwalla have come to an amicable settlement in relation to the contents of the latter's book titled Honour Bound: Adventures of an Indian Lawyer in English Court.

. Singhvi had earlier initiated proceedings against the international lawyer before the Indian courts, alleging that the latter had made defamatory comments against him and his father in the book as well as in an interview with Times of India.

. In a statement issued last week, Zaiwalla has said,

"It was never my intent to hurt Dr Singhvi or his family and I immediately apologised to him, when he raised his concerns, if any words used in my book caused any upset, which was inadvertent. I confirm that the words of which Dr Singhvi has complained were hearsay accounts of events of which I had no direct knowledge.

I certainly bear no ill will or malice towards Dr Singhvi or his late father, Dr L.M. Singhvi, and hold them both in the highest professional esteem."

. Zaiwalla has also confirmed that the book is back on the shelves for sale.

. In June this year, the Patiala House Court at Delhi had noted that Singhvi and publisher of the book HarperCollins were willing to resolve their dispute amicably.

. In his suit filed against the publisher, Singhvi alleged that HarperCollins failed to act as a responsible publishing house and chose to publish ex facie defamatory statements and content without any efforts to check the same. The publishing house subsequently issued a statement confirming that it had withdrawn copies of the book.

. In his book, Zaiwalla made a reference that then External Affairs Minister Madhav Singh Solanki said that a certain Indian lawyer gave him an envelope containing a letter urging the Swiss government to close its inquiry into the kickbacks received by Indian politicians in the Bofors deal.

. To debunk the rumours that the lawyer who handed the envelope was himself, Zaiwalla mentioned in his book that journalist Vir Sanghvi told him that the lawyer might have been LM Singhvi. Sanghvi later wrote a letter to Singhvi denying that he made any such comment.

. Singhvi had subsequently sent a legal notice to Zaiwalla, claiming that the contents of the book have no iota of truth, and that there was a deliberate and malicious attempt to defame LM Singhvi, who was a Senior Advocate of the Supreme Court of India, a Parliamentarian in both Houses, and India’s longest serving High Commissioner to the United Kingdom.

.Delhi Court issues summons to Sarosh Zaiwalla in defamation case filed by Abhishek Manu Singhvi. In his legal notice, Singhvi demanded that Zaiwalla’s book be recalled and that the allegedly defamatory portions of the books be deleted. Zaiwalla has also been asked to tender an unconditional apology in the form of an affidavit sworn and attested before an executive magistrate.

. Zaiwalla subsequently defended the comments made in his book and during the interview, stating that it was “the truth and nothing but the truth”.

Sarosh Zaiwalla, Abhishek Manu Singhvi bury the hatchet in defamation case over Honour Bound

Bar & Bench

Related Stories