New Delhi: The Delhi High Court has recorded apologies tendered by two defendants in a defamation suit filed by former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Secretary Dr Arun Kumar Mehta and ordered their deletion from the case.
The order was passed by Justice Manoj Jain while hearing CS(OS) 859/2025, Arun Kumar Mehta v. Ashok Kumar Ranchhodbhai Parmar & Ors, reported news agency Kashmir Dot Com.
During the proceedings, Advocate Vasudev Sharan Swain, appearing for Mehta, informed the court that Defendant Nos. 3 and 5 had acknowledged their mistake and published apologies in connection with the article that formed the subject matter of the suit.
Mehta, who appeared before the court in person, stated that he did not wish to pursue the proceedings against the two defendants following their apologies.
Taking note of the submissions, the court directed that Defendant Nos. 3 and 5 be deleted from the array of parties and recorded their apologies on the judicial record.
The suit will continue against the remaining defendants, including Ashok Kumar Ranchhodbhai Parmar, The Wire and The Kashmiriyat.
The court did not examine or decide the merits of the allegations contained in the defamation suit at this stage. The September 30 order was confined to recording the apologies, noting the plaintiff’s decision not to proceed against the two defendants and passing consequential directions.
Written Statements Allowed With Costs
The court also dealt with applications filed by Defendant Nos. 1, 2 and 4 seeking condonation of delay in filing their written statements.
Mehta’s counsel submitted that although the written statements had been filed after the prescribed period, they were within the maximum permissible period of 120 days. The plaintiff did not oppose their being taken on record, subject to costs.
Justice Manoj Jain accordingly allowed the applications and permitted the written statements to be placed on record, subject to costs of ₹10,000 each, to be paid to the plaintiff within four weeks.
During the hearing, counsel for Mehta also submitted that the plaintiff would consider withdrawing the proceedings against the remaining defendants if they too tendered apologies on similar lines.
Defendant No. 4 sought time to consider the proposal.
The matter has been listed for further hearing on December 15, 2026.
