Mohak Mangal Vs Ani Media Pvt. Ltd.: 25.07.2025:TRP (C) 116 of 2025:Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora
The Delhi High Court, presided over by Hon’ble Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora, addressed a petition filed by Mohak Mangal seeking the transfer of a commercial suit (CS(COMM) No. 447/2025) from the Patiala House Courts to the Delhi High Court. This suit was filed by ANI Media Pvt. Ltd. against Mohak Mangal and another party, alleging copyright and trademark infringement related to videos published by the petitioner. ANI Media had earlier filed a similar suit (CS(COMM) No. 573/2025) before the Delhi High Court, involving overlapping issues and some common videos.
The petitioner argued that both suits involve identical parties, overlapping issues of fact and law, and common documentary evidence, and thus should be consolidated to avoid multiplicity of proceedings and conflicting decisions. The petitioner also refuted the respondent’s claim about the High Court’s lack of jurisdiction under Section 15(5) of the Commercial Courts Act, 2015, citing precedents and rules that preserve the High Court’s power under Section 24 of the Code of Civil Procedure (CPC) to transfer suits for efficient adjudication.
The Court found merit in the petitioner’s submissions, noting the overlapping issues, defendants, and evidence in both suits. It held that hearing both suits together would serve judicial economy and convenience of the parties, particularly since the petitioner is an individual whose defense would be burdened by multiple forums. The Court also clarified the inapplicability of Section 15(5) of the Commercial Courts Act, 2015, to the facts of this case, affirming its jurisdiction to transfer the matter under Section 24 CPC and Rule 26 of the Delhi High Court Intellectual Property Rights Division Rules, 2022.
Consequently, the Court ordered transfer of suit no. 2 (CS(COMM) No. 447/2025) to itself for consolidation with suit no. 1 (CS(COMM) No. 573/2025) to be heard collectively. The petition for transfer was disposed of accordingly.
