On Wednesday, Justice Tushar Rao Gedela was informed that a settlement had been reached between Kashyap, TV Today Network, Khan, and five other defendants: teachers Babita Tyagi and Arvind Bhadauriya, and X users identified as Manish Yadav, SamKhasa, and Abhimanyu1305. The Court expressed appreciation for Senior Advocate Rajshekhar Rao, who served as the mediator, stating, “You have done something which was almost impossible. As I said, these things should not come to Court.” The case involved claims that the defendants used terms such as “bikau patrakar” (bought journalist), “chatukar,” and “fake news ki dukaan” (fake news shop) in response to Kashyap’s criticism of the commercialization of education.
Despite the partial resolution, the Court noted that mediation efforts with defendant 4 PM News have failed. Justice Gedela characterized 4 PM News’ remarks not as mere reporting, but as personal opinion, and directed the parties to undertake another round of mediation. Additionally, the Court was informed that settlement negotiations with defendant Abhinay Sharma remain pending. The matter will be listed for hearing on December 15 to finalize the record.
The original suit, filed in June by Kashyap and TV Today Network, sought the removal of allegedly defamatory content from social media platforms and claimed damages of Rs 2 crore. The dispute arose following a broadcast on May 29, 2026, in which Kashyap discussed the influence of “star teachers” on the Aaj Tak channel. Plaintiffs alleged that between May 30 and June 4, defendants launched a sustained campaign targeting Kashyap and the network. Kashyap’s counsel argued that her remarks constituted fair journalistic commentary on a matter of national importance.
In earlier proceedings in July, the Court had referred the matter to mediation after observing that while criticism of public figures is permissible, it must remain within the bounds of civility. At that stage, the Court also directed Khan to remove a social media post disclosing the school attended by Kashyap’s children, a disclosure that plaintiffs’ counsel argued had led to threats against the family. The Court urged restraint from both sides, noting that such disputes should ideally be resolved amicably rather than through prolonged litigation.
The settlement agreement is expected to be signed within days, with counsel for Kashyap seeking time to bring the final document on record. The resolution marks a significant de-escalation of the conflict, though the legal proceedings regarding 4 PM News and Abhinay Sharma remain active pending further mediation attempts.
