$~31 * IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI + CS(COMM) 172/2026 BENNETT COLEMAN AND COMPANY LIMITED .....Plaintiff Through: Ms. Mamta Rani Jha and Mr. Akhil Saxena, Advocates.

versus SEERA RAJA BABU M.R. SEERA, & ORS. .....Defendants Through: None.

CORAM:

HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE TUSHAR RAO GEDELA

O R D E R

% 20.02.2026 I.A. 4854/2026 (Additional Document)

1. The present application has been filed on behalf of the plaintiff under Order XI Rule 1(4) of the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 (‘CPC’) as applicable to commercial suits under the Commercial Courts Act, 2015 (‘CC Act’) seeking leave to place on record additional documents.

2. The plaintiff is permitted to file additional documents in accordance with the provisions of the CC Act and the Delhi High Court (Original Side)

Rules, 2018.

3. Accordingly, the application stands disposed of.

I.A. 4855/2026 (Pre-Institution Mediation)

4. This is an application filed by the plaintiff seeking exemption from instituting Pre-Litigation Mediation under Section 12A of the CC Act.

5. As the present matter contemplates urgent interim relief, in light of the judgment of the Supreme Court in Yamini Manohar vs. T.K.D. Keerthi: (2024) 5 SCC 815, exemption from the requirement of Pre-Institution Mediation is granted.

6. The application stands disposed of.

I.A. 4856/2026 (Exemption from filing fair clear and true/typed copies of documents)

7. This is an application filed on behalf of the plaintiff under Section 151 of CPC seeking exemption from filing clear and true typed copies of the documents.

8. Exemption is allowed, subject to just exceptions. The clear and typed/translated copies of the documents with proper margins of the dim annexures be filed within four weeks with an advance copy to the defendants.

9. The application stands disposed of.

I.A. 4857/2026 (Seeking Additional time to file Court fees)

10. The present application has been filed by the plaintiff under Section 149 read with Section 151 of CPC, seeking exemption from payment of Court Fees at the time of the filing of the suit.

11. Considering the submissions made in the present application, an extension of two weeks is granted to affix the requisite court fees.

12. The application stands disposed of.

I.A. 4853/2026 (Order XXXIX Rules 1& 2, CPC)

13. Present application has been filed on behalf of the plaintiff under Order XXXIX Rules 1 & 2 of CPC, 1908 seeking ex-parte ad-interim injunction against the defendants.

14. Plaintiff is aggrieved by the impersonation of its brand by defendant no.1, who is stated to be operating a network of unauthorized social media handles principally @ toimovies_ on Instagram, Facebook and Threads. The defendant is alleged to have slavishly copied the plaintiff’s TOI unique red circular logo/ thereby creating a false impression and association with the plaintiff. It is stated that the defendant no.1 in collusion with defendant nos. 2 to 6 is actively monetising the plaintiff’s reputation through a calculated scheme of fraud. Particularly, that the defendant is engaging in commercial exploitation by circulating a rate card for the paid promotions ranging from USD $25 to USD $50 per month, defrauding innocent third party intending advertisers.

15. Plaintiff claims that in order to create an atmosphere of trust, the defendant nos. 1 to 6 has embedded a direct hyperlink to the plaintiff’s official website (www.timesofindia.com) in their Instagram bio.

16. Plaintiff claims to have been established in the year 1838 by the first publication of the edition of the “Times of India” and claims to have a legacy spanning 188 years. Plaintiff claims that over the long passage of time, the mark “TIMES” and the acronym “TOI” have gained such reputation, that they have now turned to be source identifiers synonymous with the plaintiff’s standards of journalism. Plaintiff also claims that the trademarks have acquired a secondary meaning and any reference to the word “TIMES” or the acronym “TOI” in relation to media, news or allied services, is i