90-year-old declines settlement in defamation case; Bombay High Court adjourns hearing to 2046
The Bombay High Court has deferred a long-running defamation case for 20 years, calling it a “battle of egos” that is burdening the judicial system.
A bench led by Justice Jitendra Jain directed that the matter be listed only after 2046, despite one of the plaintiffs being 90 years old. The court said the case would not be given priority solely on the basis of age.
The case was filed in 2017 by Tariniben (90) and Dhvani Desai (57) against Kilkilraj Bhansali and others, seeking ₹20 crore in damages over alleged incidents during a housing society meeting in 2015. The plaintiffs claimed mental harassment and distress.
The court noted that the dispute had dragged on for years without resolution and criticised it for clogging judicial time. It observed that such personal disputes prevent courts from taking up more urgent matters.
Earlier, the bench had suggested resolving the issue through an apology, but the elderly plaintiff chose to continue with the defamation suit.
“This is one of those cases where a battle of egos between litigants jams the system,” the court said, adding that the matter would now be taken up only after two decades.
The case has seen repeated delays, including earlier warnings from the court over procedural lapses. With the latest order, it stands deferred for the foreseeable future.
