No settlement reached between Irani and Nirupam, HC told

New Delhi: No compromise could be reached between Union HRD Minister Smriti Irani and Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam, who have filed defamation cases against each other, their counsel informed the Delhi High Court on Wednesday.

Justice Suresh Kait had referred the matter to mediation on August 13, but the counsel for Irani and Nirupam told him a compromise could not be worked out.

Following this, the court issued a formal notice to Nirupam on Irani's plea for quashing of the summons issued to her by a trial court on a complaint filed by the Congress leader. As Nirupam's counsel told the court that a response on behalf of the Congress leader has already been filed, Justice Kait noted since it was not on record it should be filed again within two weeks.

The court asked Irani's lawyer Anil Soni to file the rejoinder before the next date and listed the matter for further hearing on November 16.

The court also listed another petition that has been filed by Nirupam on the complaint made by Irani against him. Nirupam's plea is being heard by another bench of the high court.

The court said both matters be taken up by the same bench subject to orders of the Chief Justice of the high court.

Nirupam, in his response, has claimed that Irani's plea is not maintainable and alleged that contentions in her petition are "false and self-serving".

While denying the allegations made against him by Irani, Nirupam has rejected the contention that he had filed the defamation complaint against her as a counterblast to the one she filed against him.

Apart from seeking quashing of the summons issued to her by the trial court on June 6, 2014, Irani has also sought quashing of the complaint by Nirupam.