"You both are leaders of industry," the top court said. (File)
The Supreme Court today asked Bombay Dyeing chairman Nusli Wadia and Ratan Tata, chairman emeritus of Tata Sons, to resolve their differences in a defamation case.
Nusli 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.
"You both are mature people. You both are leaders of industry. Why don't you both settle the matter? Why don't you sit together and resolve your differences. Do you all need to pursue litigation like this?" said a bench headed by Chief Justice SA Bobde.
The top court bench adjourned the matter for January 13 after Nusli Wadia's lawyer said he would like to seek instruction from his client on the separate suit filed in the matter.
Nusli Wadia told the court that he has nothing against Tata Group and was not claiming any defamation caused to him by his removal from the board.
"I am not against the company, which removed me. I am against those people who requisitioned for the resolution, which was eventually leaked to the media," he said, adding that they should withdraw the allegations.
The bench told Nusli Wadia that Ratan Tata and others have some grievances against him and asked how that amount to defamation.
Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for Ratan Tata said that Nusli Wadia has given a statutory notice seeking the response. He said there is a finding by the Bombay High Court that there was no intention to defame and the court should record this and dispose of the petition.
Nusli Wadia had filed the defamation case in 2016 after he was voted out of the boards of some Tata Group companies, and claimed that Ratan Tata and others made defamatory statements against him after they removed Cyrus Mistry as the group chairman of Tata Sons.
Tata and others had then approached the high court seeking to quash and set aside the proceedings initiated against them.