The main legal point established in the judgment is the importance of upholding family settlements and the mandatory inquiry by the Registrar of Newspapers for India in cases where different entities publish different editions of the same newspaper title.

JUDGMENT

Prathiba M. Singh, J. (Oral)--This hearing has been done through hybrid mode.

2. The present petition has been filed by the Petitioner-M/s Dainik Samachar Ltd. through its Director-Mrs. Kiran Chopra, against Respondent No.1-Registrar of Newspaper for India (`RNI') and Respondent No.2-GNCTD.

3. The reliefs sought in this petition are as under:

"a) Issue a Writ of Mandamus or any other appropriate writ directing the Respondent No. 1 to update its Register based upon the authenticated declaration dated 14.09.2022 to reflect the change in printer, publisher, editor and owner of `Punjab Kesari', Daily, Hindi, Delhi Edition; and

b) Issue a Writ of Mandamus or any other appropriate writ directing Respondent No. 1 to issue the updated certificate of registration bearing no. 40474/83 reflecting the change in printer, publisher and editor of `Punjab Kesari', Daily, Hindi, Delhi Edition; and

c) Issue a Writ of Mandamus or any other appropriate writ directing Respondent No. 1 to make necessary entries in the register and issue the necessary registration certificate in respect of territories falling to the share of the Petitioner, as per the MOFS dated 16.07.2022, as and when applied for by the Petitioner;"

4. `Punjab Kesari' is a well-known newspaper, published in India from around Independence in 1948. The said newspaper initially started publication in Jalandhar, Punjab as `Punjab Kesari' Jalandhar edition in 1965 and `Punjab Kesari' Delhi edition in 1983. Both publications were being carried out by the owner- M/s. The Hind Samachar Ltd., with Sh. Vijay Kumar Chopra as printer, publisher and editor, and was duly registered with the RNI. The details of the certificates of registration is provided below:

5. Over the years, two family settlement agreements are stated to have been entered into between the various members of the family which was publishing Punjab Kesari. The broad division is between the descendants of sons of Late Mr. Lala Jagat Narain, i.e. Late Mr. Romesh Chandra Chopra and Mr. Vijay Kumar Chopra who was running the M/s The Hind Samachar Ltd. Disputes arose between, namely, Late Mr. Ashwini Kumar Chopra (son of Late Mr. Romesh Chandra Chopra) and Mr. Vijay Kumar Chopra.

6. This disputes are stated to have resulted initially in a family settlement/consent order dated 19th October, 2005 (`2005 Settlement'). Post this dispute, two groups were formed, i.e. Group A, identified to the family of Late Mr. Romesh Chandra Chopra (hereinafter known as `AKC parties') and Group B, identified to the family of Mr. Vijay Kumar Chopra (hereinafter known as `VKC parties'). M/s The Hind Samachar Ltd. was then divided between two lots i.e. Lot 1 consisting, inter-alia of Jalandhar and Ambala Units in share of Group B or VKC parties and Lot 2 i.e. the Delhi and Jaipur Units in Group A or AKC parties. The Delhi Unit of Punjab Kesari fell in the share of Mr. Ashwini Kumar Chopra group/AKC parties, but the RNI registration continued to be in the name of Mr. Vijay Kumar Chopra. Thereafter, certain disputes arose between AKC parties and VKC parties during the implementation of execution of the Consent Order dated 19th October 2005, and disputes continued at various fora. Therefore, the Petitioner urges that, no changes/amendments could be made in printer, publisher, editor of the Punjab Kesari-Delhi Edition, which as a result continued with Mr. Vijay Kumar Chopra as printer, publisher, editor and The Hind Samachar Ltd., as owner.

7. After the 2005 settlement, a further oral family settlement was entered between the AKC parties and the VKC parties, and the same was recorded in the form of Memorandum of Family Settlement dated 16th July, 2022 (`MoFS'). As per Clause 3.8 of the MOFS, the title `Punjab Kesari' - Delhi edition along with other territories as mentioned in Clause 9.1 of the MOFS has