Mumbai: The Bombay High Court has told a 90-year-old woman to wait for 20 years before her defamation case can be heard. A single-judge bench of Justice Jitendra Jain said Tuesday the legal dispute pitting Tariniben, 90, and Dhvani Desai, 57, against others a "battle of egos".
Justice Jain made strong observations, including noting the case had "disrupted the judicial system", and ordered the case should next be heard only on a date after 2046.
The lawsuit was filed in 2017 by Tariniben and Desai against Kilkilraj Bhansali and others.
The case pertains to alleged incidents that occurred during the Annual General Meeting of the Shyam Co-operative Housing Society in 2015. The petitioners claim these incidents caused mental harassment and distress, for which they have sought compensation of Rs 20 crore.
"This is one of those cases where a battle of egos between the litigants - at the twilight of their lives - jams the system. Consequently, the court is unable to take up matters that genuinely require priority," the judge said.
The court previously suggested the dispute be resolved through an apology, but was then told that the 90-year-old plaintiff remained adamant about pursuing the defamation suit.
The court clarified the case should not be accorded priority merely on grounds the plaintiff is a "super senior citizen". In his order, the judge stated, "I do not wish to say anything further, other than that this matter shall not be taken up for the next 20 years. List it for a date after 2046."
In March last year another bench warned that if the petitioner's counsel failed to appear on the next date, the case would be dismissed. In 2019 as well, the court granted plaintiffs time to submit a list of witnesses and relevant documents; however, instead of being resolved, the dispute dragged on.
