The Bombay High Court on Wednesday revised its earlier decision to adjourn a long-pending defamation suit until 2046 filed by a 90-year-old woman, and instead scheduled the matter for hearing on July 15, 2026, reported the PTI.
The modification came a day after the court had sharply criticised the prolonged litigation, describing it as an “ego fight” between the parties at the “fag end of their lives”, the news agency reported.
The case was heard by a bench led by Justice Jitendra Jain, who had earlier expressed concern over how such disputes were burdening the judicial system.
The bench of Justice Jitendra Jain had criticised the parties` persistence in litigation that prevented it from prioritising more urgent matters.
On Wednesday, the plaintiff’s counsel, Swaraj Jadhav, filed an application seeking removal of the court’s remarks.
Accepting the request, the bench ordered that the observations be deleted from the record and brought forward the next hearing date, according to the PTI.
The dispute
The suit was filed in 2017 by 90-year-old Tarinibahen Desai against Kilkilraj Bhansali. The dispute arises from internal matters within the Shyam Co-operative Housing Society in Mumbai, as per the PTI.
At the centre of the case are notices, letters and resolutions linked to a 2015 annual general meeting, including a decision to expel Desai from the society.
Desai has sought damages of Rs 20 crore, alleging that the society’s communications were defamatory and caused mental distress.
Settlement efforts failed
In 2018, the court had been informed that the parties might reach a settlement, but negotiations did not succeed. The case subsequently moved forward, with the court framing issues for a civil trial.
During earlier hearings, the court had suggested that the dispute could be resolved if both sides offered unconditional apologies. However, Desai chose to continue pursuing the defamation claim.
According to her lawyer, the plaintiff remains determined to proceed with the suit despite the court’s earlier observations, the news agency reported.
Her lawyer Swaraj Jadhav on Wednesday told PTI that she was still keen on pursuing the suit.
The case will now be taken up for further hearing in July this year.
(with PTI inputs)
