High Court of DelhiCS(OS)/31/2018

Central Electronics Limited & Another v. Live Media & Publishers Pvt. Ltd. & Others

2026-01-27Hon'Ble Mr. Justice Subramonium Prasad9 pages

$~4 & 5 * IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI + CS(OS) 231/2017 & I.A. 6377/2017, I.A. 12078/2017, I.A. 4629/2021 CENTRAL ELECTRONICS LIMITED & ANOTHER .....Plaintiffs Through:

Appearance not given versus LIVE MEDIA & PUBLISHERS PVT. LTD. & OTHERS .....Defendants Through:

Mr. Pranav Sachdeva, Mr.Sanyam Jain, Ms.Khushboo Singhal, Mr.

P.Rohit Ram, Advocates + CS(OS) 31/2018 & I.A. 1157/2018, I.A. 3602/2018, I.A. 4627/2021, I.A. 2190/2023, I.A. 16934/2025 CENTRAL ELECTRONICS LIMITED & ANOTHER .....Plaintiff Through:

Appearance not given versus LIVE MEDIA & PUBLISHERS PVT. LTD. & OTHERS .....Defendant Through:

Mr. Pranav Sachdeva, Mr.Sanyam Jain, Ms.Khushboo Singhal, Mr.

P.Rohit Ram, Advocates

CORAM:

HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE SUBRAMONIUM PRASAD

O R D E R

% 27.01.2026 CS(OS) 231/2017 etc. Page 1 of 9 The authenticity of the order can be re-verified from Delhi High Court Order Portal by scanning the QR code shown above.

The present Suits are for damages for causing defamation. 2.

During the pendency of the present Suits, the parties have entered into a settlement before the Delhi High Court Mediation and Conciliation Centre vide a Settlement Agreement dated 05.12.2025. The Settlement Agreement is being reproduced in its entirety and the same reads as under: "

SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT This Settlement Agreement is entered on 05.12.2025. BETWEEN CENTRAL ELECTRONICS LIMITED (CEL), REGD.

OFFICE AT 8th FLOOR, 823, ANSAL VIKAS DEEP BUILDING, PLOT NO. 18, DISTRICT CENTRE, LAXMI NAGAR, DELHI-110092 & ALSO AT SITE-IV, INDUSTRIAL AREA, SAHIBABAD, UTTAR PRADESH (201010) THROUGH ITS AUTHORISED REPRESENTATIVE SH. RAJAT GARG, GENERAL MANAGER (HRD) AUTHORISED VIDE AUTHORITY LETTER DATED 05.12.2025. THE COPY OF SAID AUTHORITY LETTER IS ANNEXED HEREWITH AS ANNEXURE-A.

(HEREINAFTER REFERRED TO AS FIRST PARTY) (WHICH EXPRESSION SHALL MEAN AND INCLUDE ITS, SUCCESSORS, LEGAL REPRESENTATIVES, ADMINISTRATORS, EXECUTORS, AND ASSIGNEE ETC.) AND

1. LIVE MEDIA AND PUBLISHERS PRIVATE LIMITED, REGD. OFFICE AT: 1004, NEW DELHI HOUSE, 27 BARAKHAMBA ROAD, NEW DELHI110001, THROUGH ITS AUTHORISED REPRESENTATIVE MR.

ANIL KUMAR CS(OS) 231/2017 etc. Page 2 of 9 The authenticity of the order can be re-verified from Delhi High Court Order Portal by scanning the QR code shown above.

AUTHORISED VIDE AUTHORISATION LETTER DATED 24.02.2025.

THE COPY OF SAID AUTHORISATION LETTER IS ANNEXED HEREWITH AS ANNEXURE-B.

SH. ANIL KUMAR, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF OF LIVE MEDIA AND PUBLISHERS HAVING REGD.

OFFICE AT: 1004, NEW DELHI HOUSE, 27, BARAKHAMBA ROAD, NEW DELHI-110001.

DR. RASHMI SINGH, EDITOR OF TELECOM LIVE, LIVE MEDIA AND PUBLISHERS PVT. LTD., HAVING REGD. OFFICE AT: 1004, NEW DELHI HOUSE, 27, BARAKHAMBA ROAD, NEW DELHI110001 THROUGH HER AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE MR.

ANIL KUMAR AUTHORIZED VIDE AUTHORITY LETTER DATED 05.12.2025. COPY OF THE SAME IS ANNEXED HEREWITH AS ANNEXURE-C.

(HEREINAFTER COLLECTIVELY REFERRED TO AS THE <SECOND PARTY=) (WHICH EXPRESSION SHALL MEAN AND INCLUDE THEIR SUCCESSORS, LEGAL REPRESENTATIVES, ADMINISTRATORS, EXECUTORS AND ASSIGNS ETC.) [The First Party and the Second Party shall be collectively referred to as the <Parties= and individually as <Party=] WHEREAS the First Party was established in 1974, with the objective of commercially exploiting indigenous technologies developed by National Laboratories and R&D Institutions in the country. The First Party has developed a number of products for the first time in the country through its own R&D efforts and in close association with the premier National & CS(OS) 231/2017 etc. Page 3 of 9 The authenticity of the order can be re-verified from Delhi High Court Order Portal by scanning the QR code shown above.

International Laboratories including Defense Laboratories. The First Party is a Company engaged in the field of production of solar photo voltaic panels, high efficiency solar cells and establishment of solar power plants and service centres.

AND WHEREAS the Second Party is a Private Limited Company engaged in the business of publishing magazines and online news on the telecom, IT and infrastructure sectors.

AND WHEREAS in February of 2017, the Second Party received certain internal information belonging to the First Party from an erstwhile employee of the First Party and subsequently published articles in the magazine, <TelecomLive= about the First Party as well as its erstwhile Chairman & Managing Director Dr. Nalin Singhal.

AND WHEREAS according to the First Party, it was not been given sufficient time to respond to the allegations levelled against it prior to its publication and the article/material was published. The said published material was found objectionable by the First Party and therefore the First Party alongwith said Dr. Nalin Singhal (erstwhile Chairman & Managing Director) filed a civil suit before the Hon'ble High Court of Delhi, being CS (OS) 231 of 2017, titled as Central Electronics Ltd. & Anr. Vs. Live Media Publishers Pvt. Ltd. & Ors.

AND WHEREAS the said civil suit was first listed on 23.05.2017, on which date the Hon'ble Court was pleased to restrain the Second Party from further publishing, circulating or propagating either physically or digitally the article that was published at page 41 in their February 2017 magazine. AND WHEREAS the First Party filed a complaint case being CS(OS) 231/2017 etc. Page 4 of 9 The authenticity of the order can be re-verified from Delhi High Court Order Portal by scanning the QR code shown above.

Ct. Cases 13433/2017 (CNR-DLND020090012017) against the Second Party, which is pending before Judicial Magistrate First Class-05, Patiala House Courts, New Delhi.

AND WHEREAS the Second Party again received certain internal and confidential information, belonging to the First Party, from an erstwhile employee of the First Party and subsequently published another article in the magazine, <TelecomLive= in the month of January, 2018, which contained certain allegations against the First Party and its erstwhile Chairman & Managing Director Dr. Nalin Singhal. AND WHEREAS aggrieved by the said article published in the magazine, <TelecomLive= in January, 2018, the First Party, alongwith said Dr. Nalin Singhal (erstwhile Chairman & Managing Director) preferred another civil suit before the Hon'ble High Court of Delhi, being CS (OS) 31 of 2018, titled as Central Electronics Ltd. Vs Live Media Publishers & Ors. The Hon'ble Court, vide order dated 24.01.2018 granted an ex-parte injunction order thereby restraining the Second Party from further publishing, circulating or propagating either physically or digitally the said article published in January, 2018.

AND WHEREAS the First Party also filed a case in Ghaziabad District Court against the Second Party, being Complaint Case No. 625 of 2018 (CNRUPGZ040145522018), which is pending before Addl. Chief Judicial Magistrate, Ghaziabad.

AND WHEREAS during the pendency of the aforesaid two suits i.e. CS (OS) 231 of 2017 and CS (OS) 31 of 2018, said Dr. Nalin Singhal, the erstwhile Chairman & Managing Director of the First Party (Plaintiff No.2 in both the said suits) entered into a compromise with the Second Party vide settlement Deed dated 21.02.2025 CS(OS) 231/2017 etc. Page 5 of 9 The authenticity of the order can be re-verified from Delhi High Court Order Portal by scanning the QR code shown above.

whereby he agreed to withdraw all the suits and complaints filed by him against the Second Party. AND WHEREAS as per the First Party, no major disputes now survive between the First Party and the Second Party in light of the said compromise between Dr. Nalin Singhal and the Second Party, as the said articles were primarily targeted towards Dr. Nalin Singhal with minimal allegations against the First Party.

AND WHEREAS CS (OS) 231/2017 & CS (OS) 31/2018 was referred to Samadhan, Delhi High Court Mediation and Conciliation Centre by Hon'ble Delhi High Court vide order dated 25.02.2025 for resolving the disputes between the Parties.

AND WHEREAS Ms. Isha Khanna, Advocate was assigned the matter to act as a Mediator to facilitate the Parties in resolving their disputes for mediation by SAMADHAN.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS I. The Second Party unconditionally withdraws all the allegations made against the First Party and tenders unconditional apology for harm caused to the First Party. It is agreed by the Parties that this shall be without prejudice to the rights and contentions of both the Parties in the pending court cases against the third parties and shall not be taken as any comment on the stand of either of the Parties with respect to each other in the said pending cases.

II.

The Second Party agrees to immediately withdraw/delete the aforesaid two articles and/or any other article(s) that may have a mention of the First Party, whether published in print, online or any other CS(OS) 231/2017 etc. Page 6 of 9 The authenticity of the order can be re-verified from Delhi High Court Order Portal by scanning the QR code shown above.

medium and to take all necessary steps to ensure their removal from public access.

III. The Second Party further agrees that neither of its constituents i.e. Live Media Publishers Private Limited, Mr. Anil Kumar, Dr. Rashmi Singh, or their successor companies/entities/individual, while being a part of Second Party or while working in any other company/organisation or in any other capacity, shall or shall cause to publish, distribute, or disseminate any articles, reports, or content of any kind concerning the First Party, or allude to it, in the future, whether directly or indirectly, without the express written consent of the First Party.

IV. The First Party further agrees and undertakes to withdraw the following Criminal Cases filed against the Second Party within 30 days of signing of the present Settlement Agreement: i. CT CASE 13433/2017 pending before Judicial Magistrate First Class-05, Patiala House Court, New Delhi and the next date of hearing is 09-01-2026. ii. CC NO. 625/2018 pending before Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh and the next date of hearing is 09.12.2025.

V. The Hon'ble Court may consider refund of the court fees to the First Party in terms of Section 16 of the Court Fees Act, 1870 read with Section 89 of the Code of Civil Procedure. It is further agreed by the Second Party that if the amount of court fees ordered to be refunded is less than the court fees paid alongwith the aforesaid suits, then it will pay the said differential amount to the First Party so as to make it equivalent to the court fee paid by the First Party in the aforesaid two suits.

VI. The Second Party further agrees to pay Rs. 50,000 CS(OS) 231/2017 etc. Page 7 of 9 The authenticity of the order can be re-verified from Delhi High Court Order Portal by scanning the QR code shown above.

(Rupees Fifty Thousand only) received from the First Party towards the costs imposed on the First Party by the Hon'ble High Court of Delhi in pursuance to its order dated 20.05.2024.

VII. The Parties further agree that the instant settlement agreement shall not impact the rights of the First Party to take any action against any person found to have provided the aforementioned internal and confidential information to the Second Party and that this agreement shall not be construed to have absolved such person of any wrongdoing.

VIII. The Parties further agree that the instant agreement is confidential and that the Second Party shall not disclose the settlement agreement or the terms thereof to any third party unless legally bound to do so. IX. The Parties undertake to present themselves before the Hon'ble Court confirming the terms of the present Settlement Agreement and to make a joint request to the Hon'ble High Court to decree the Suit being CS (OS) 231/2017 & CS (OS) 31/2018 in view of the present Settlement Agreement.

X. The Parties agree that neither of the Parties shall be left with any claim against each other regarding the subject matter of the present dispute and shall not raise any claim against each other in future qua the same. XI. Both the Parties confirm that no other case has been filed by them against the other with respect to the subject matter of the present case and in an event, it is found that any judicial, quasi-judicial or administrative proceeding has got initiated which is not stated herein, then the said Party, on whose instance the proceedings got initiated, shall withdraw the same promptly in terms of the present Settlement CS(OS) 231/2017 etc. Page 8 of 9 The authenticity of the order can be re-verified from Delhi High Court Order Portal by scanning the QR code shown above.

Agreement.

XII. The Parties further agree that the present Settlement Agreement has been read over by them and they have agreed to the present terms after thoroughly reading and understanding the same by their mutual irrevocable voluntary consent without any force, coercion, misrepresentation, undue influence, pressure from any corner and will not retract such consent at any stage in any manner whatsoever.= 3.

It is stated by the learned Counsel for the Plaintiff that the Plaintiff has received a cheque bearing No.823767, dated 27.01.2026, from the Defendants for Rs.50,000/-.

This Court has gone through the Settlement Agreement which is legal and lawful.

In view of the fact that settlement has been arrived at between the Parties, the Suits are disposed of in terms of Order XXIII Rule 3 of CPC and the Settlement Agreement entered into between the Parties. 6.

Pending applications, if any, also stand disposed of. 7.

Let the Decree Sheets be prepared accordingly. 8.

The Parties shall be bound by the terms of the Settlement Agreement. 9.

The Court Fee be refunded in accordance with Section 16 of the Court Fees Act, 1870.

SUBRAMONIUM PRASAD, J JANUARY 27, 2026 Rahul CS(OS) 231/2017 etc. Page 9 of 9 The authenticity of the order can be re-verified from Delhi High Court Order Portal by scanning the QR code shown above.