The Madras High Court has reserved its orders in a trademark infringement case involving Sangeetha Caterers and Consultants LLP, the owners of the renowned Chennai-based vegetarian restaurant chain ‘Sangeetha’, and their former franchisees who now run restaurants under the name ‘Geetham’ in the city. The court deferred the verdict after hearing arguments from both sides and allowed them to seek an out-of-court settlement before the final decision.
Senior counsel A.K. Sriram, representing the plaintiff, and senior counsel P.S. Raman, on behalf of the defendants led by Rasnam Foods Pvt. Ltd., presented detailed arguments during the hearing. The judge granted liberty to the parties to mention the case if a settlement is reached before the orders are pronounced.
Advocate Raman suggested that a realistic settlement could be achieved if the claim amount is limited to around Rs 3 crore, contrasting the plaintiff’s demand of Rs 130 crore. He urged the court to reserve judgment and provide time for negotiations based on this premise.
Sriram argued on the merits of the case, highlighting the establishment and growth of ‘Sangeetha’ since its inception in 1985 by P. Suresh and P. Rajagopal. The plaintiff had granted franchise rights to Rasnam Foods in 2009, leading to the operation of several ‘Sangeetha’ outlets in Chennai and overseas. However, following the franchisees’ exit in 2022, the outlets were closed, and ‘Geetham’ restaurants began operating from the same locations the next day, triggering the infringement allegations.
