A Singapore-based firm, Advantage Strategic Consulting, on Monday recorded it’s statement before the Supreme Court that it will not proceed with defamation proceedings filed by it against former Union Minister Dr Subramanian Swamy, for the time being.
Advantage Strategic Consulting had
filed a defamation suit against Swamy before the High Court of Singapore for allegedly making unverified references against the firm during a press conference in April 2012 in New Delhi.
The Bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice KV Viswanathan posted the matter for final hearing on April 9.
The former Union leader filed an application in the Supreme Court challenging the Madras High Court order, which allowed the firm to proceed with its defamation suit.
In August, the top court of the country had issued notice to the firm and orally asked it not to proceed with the defamation proceedings for the time being.
The Bench repeated it’s oral order today, after Advocate Jai Anant Dehadrai, appearing for the Singapore firm, recorded it’s statement.
Swamy was represented by Senior Advocate Vibha Datta Makhijha and Advocates Satya Sabharwal and Baani Khanna.
The Counsels representing Swamy contended that as per the records of the Union Corporate Affairs Ministry, the shareholding of the Indian arm of the firm was completely Indian.
A single-judge Bench of the Madras High Court had restrained the firm in 2014 from filing a defamation suit in Singapore against Swamy.
On April 18, 2023, the Division Bench of Justice SS Sundar and Justice PB Balaji had set aside this injunction order on the grounds that the High Court lacked the jurisdiction to grant such an anti-suit injunction against a foreign company.
It further held that the High Court could not decide whether the Singapore High Court had jurisdiction in the matter or not.