Nusli Wadia withdraws cases against Ratan Tata
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, January 13
Days after Chief Justice of India SA Bobde asked Bombay Dyeing chairman Nusli Wadia and Tata Group chairman Emeritus Ratan Tata to amicably sort out their differences instead of fighting it out in courts, the former on Monday withdrew all defamation cases, including the Rs 3,000-crore suit for damages, against the latter.
The Supreme Court allowed Wadia to withdraw his petition after recording that statement on beha;f of Tata and others that they had no intention to defame him (Wadia).
“In view of the statement made by Tata that there was no intention to defame Wadia, which is in accordance with the finding of the high court, the petitioner is hereby allowed to withdraw the present petition as well as the pending suit for damages,” a Bench led by CJI Bobde said.
The CJI — who had had on January 6 asked Wadia and Tata to sit together and resolve their differences in the defamation case — told senior advocate CA Sundaram, representing Wadia, that the Bench appreciated his client for the appropriate response.
Wadia had filed a criminal defamation case against Ratan Tata and other directors of Tata Sons in 2016 after he was voted out of the boards of some Tata Group companies.
The Bench was initially inclined to dispose of the matter while upholding the finding of Bombay High Court that there was no intention of defamation. But it had adjourned the matter for January 13 after counsel for Wadia said that he would like to seek instruction from his client on the separate suit filed in the matter.
