The has directed veteran actor to appear personally if he wishes to continue pursuing his personality rights case against defendants with whom an amicable settlement has not been completed, reported.
Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav passed the direction on October 9 while granting Bachchan additional time to complete the formalities of a settlement reached with some defendants in the suit, Amitabh Bachchan v Rajat Nagi & Ors.
The Court was informed that a settlement had been reached with some defendants but could not be formally signed because of logistical issues on the actor’s part.
The Court said Bachchan would have to be present in person if he was unable to settle the matter with one or more defendants and wished to pursue the remaining claims in court.
“In the event of non-settlement or incomplete settlement, if the plaintiff wishes to pursue the suit on any of the claims or issues, the plaintiff shall remain personally present on the next date of hearing, enabling the Court to exercise its powers under Order X Rule 2 read with Order V Rule 3 of the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908, and Section 168 of the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023,” the Court ordered.
The direction means that if the settlement remains incomplete, Bachchan must personally attend the next hearing to pursue any unresolved claims or issues.
Bachchan had filed the suit seeking a permanent injunction to protect his personality rights. The Delhi High Court had granted him an ex parte ad interim injunction on November 25, 2022.
The case is titled Amitabh Bachchan v Rajat Nagi & Ors. During the proceedings, the parties explored the possibility of resolving the dispute amicably through mediation.
On October 9, the Court was informed that a settlement had been reached with some defendants, but the formal agreement was yet to be executed.
The Court granted time to complete the settlement formalities while clarifying the requirement for Bachchan’s personal appearance if the unresolved aspects of the suit were to continue.
Advocates Dhruv Anand, Dhananjay Khanna and Bhavya Verma represented Bachchan in the proceedings.
The matter concerns the protection of the actor’s personality rights and the continuation of his legal claims against defendants with whom a settlement has not been finalised.
