A new twist has emerged in the ongoing debate surrounding the origins of beloved Indian culinary delights such as Butter Chicken and Dal Makhani. The proprietors of Daryaganj restaurants have taken their grievances to the Delhi High Court, accusing the owners of the Moti Mahal restaurant chain of making defamatory and libelous remarks against them. This legal dispute, filed under the case name Rupa Gujral & Ors v Daryaganj Hospitality Private Limited & Ors, adds another layer to the contentious issue of culinary attribution in India.
According to a report of Bar and Bench, Daryaganj has raised objections to the use of remarks, They [Daryaganj] are piggybacking off my legacy. What big cheats they are. Allegations have surfaced against the owner of Moti Mahal, suggesting that defamatory comments were made and subsequently reported in The Wall Street Journal, a US-based newspaper. These remarks were then disseminated across various other platforms. Following objections raised by Daryaganj, Justice Sanjeev Narula has intervened, instructing Moti Mahal to provide an affidavit within a two-week timeframe. The affidavit should detail their stance, explicitly denying any such allegation and outlining their efforts to disassociate themselves from the contentious statement.
Sethi, representing Moti Mahal, has presented a submission aimed at elucidating the origin and context of the contentious statement. She endeavors to draw a distinction between the position held by the Plaintiffs (Moti Mahal) and the editorial decisions made during the reporting process. This effort serves to disentangle Moti Mahal from the remarks attributed to them, implying that the expressions highlighted in the article—deemed defamatory by the Defendants—do not accurately reflect their direct communications or intentions.
Therefore, Plaintiffs are directed to submit an affidavit, elaborating on the assertions made by Ms. Sethi and affirming their effort to distance themselves from the disputed statement in the published articles. Let the same be filed within two weeks from today, the Court ordered.