If you’ve decided to enter gutter, stay there: HC expresses angst over discourse in Ashneer Grover, Bharatpe feud

New Delhi, 16th May 2023: On May 16, the Delhi High Court ordered Ashneer Grover and BharatPe to stop using unparliamentary and defamatory statements against one other. Grover has been making disparaging claims against BharatPe, its co-founders, and the firm’s board, particularly towards Rajnish Kumar, since his departure from the company in March 2022.

The court order comes just a week after the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Delhi Police filed a FIR against the former BharatPe co-founder, his wife Madhuri Jain, and other family members. According to a tweet thread by Bar & Bench, the court has requested the lawyers for Grover and BharatPe to advise their clients on the matter.

Grover, according to the fintech unicorn, has been making defamatory tweets against the company following the FIR. During the hearing, Justice Prateek Jalan expressed his disgust with both parties’ use of profanity. “If you’ve both decided to enter the gutter, please stay there,” the bench said.

The bench issued notices on BharatPe’s application and scheduled the case for further review before the roster bench on May 24.

Grover noted in a tweet that BharatPe is the only organisation that has banned its comments section on social media networks like Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram for 15 months.

His tweet wrote, “BharatPe is special ! It’s management under Rajnish Kumar is a class act (will become management case study). India has 106 Unicorns – BharatPe is the only one which has switched OFF it’s comments section across Twitter / LinkedIn / Instagram (all social media) for 15 months now. It’s the ONLY FinTech or startup in the WORLD to switch off social media ever since I left (1 Mar 2022). Try it for yourself to comment!”

BharatPe accused Grover and his family members, including wife Madhuri Jain, of launching a campaign against the company earlier this year. BharatPe filed a lawsuit on December 7 seeking over 88 crore in damages for alleged theft of money.