Ashneer Grover, co-founder of BharatPe, expressed regret and issued an apology before the Delhi High Court on Tuesday regarding his social media posts that targeted his former employer. Despite acknowledging Ashneer Grover's apology, Justice Rekha Palli characterized Grover's behavior as 'appalling' and levied a fine of Rs. 2 lakh due to the violation of the court's earlier order.

The court had issued a directive in May 2023, explicitly instructing Ashneer Grover and BharatPe to abstain from using language deemed 'unparliamentary' or 'defamatory' against each other. In an ongoing suit, BharatPe filed an application, citing social media posts by Grover from earlier that month containing 'defamatory' remarks against the company. During the proceedings, it was highlighted that Grover, labeled as a habitual offender, had consistently flouted the court's orders by repeatedly engaging in behavior that contravened the established directives.

Advocate Giriraj Subramanium, representing Grover, informed the court about Grover's apology and commitment not to breach the court's orders. He highlighted that Grover had also taken steps to remove the contentious tweets. On the other side, Senior Advocate Akhil Sibal, representing BharatPe, argued that despite Grover deleting the tweets, the damage had already been done as the media had already picked up and disseminated the content, causing irreparable harm.

At the conclusion of the hearing, Justice Palli, having reviewed the applications and apology, expressed her disappointment with Grover's conduct. Despite accepting the apology, the court upheld Grover's commitment and imposed a fine of Rs. 2 lakh, directing the payment to the Delhi High Court Clerks Association as costs. Towards the end of the proceedings, Adv Subramanium proposed mediation, noting the nearly 15 pending proceedings between BharatPe and Grover. However, Sr Adv Sibal dismissed the suggestion, stating unequivocally, "We are not interested in that."