M.L. Mehta, J.

I.A. No. 3607/2012 (under Order I Rule 10 and Order VI Rule 16 of CPC)

1. By this Order, I shall dispose of the application filed by defendant no. 7 under Order I Rule 10 of the CPC seeking deletion of the names of defendants no. 1 to 4 and 6, as well as under Order VI Rule 16 for striking off pleadings made against these defendants. Before proceeding on the merits of this application, it is pertinent to give a brief description of the parties in this suit.

2. The plaintiff, Smt. Binu Anand Khanna, was an erstwhile employee of defendant no. 7, The Indian Hotels Co. Ltd., a company under the Tata Group of Companies, incorporated under the provisions of the Companies Act, 1956 and having its registered office in Bombay. Defendant no. 7 is stated to be engaged in the business of running a chain of reputed hotels under the name and style of ‘Taj’. Defendant no. 8, The Taj Trade and Transport Co. Ltd., is stated to be a wholly owned subsidiary of defendant no. 7. Defendant no. 8 is also stated to own and operate a reputed chain of exclusive variety stores kno