The Hindu Business Line : Lodha counsel submits more documents

THE case pertaining to the discharge of caveats filed by the Birlas (in the probate of Priyamvada will matter) came up for hearing on Wednesday before Mr Justice K.J. Sengupta of the Calcutta High Court.

At the outset of the hearing, counsel of Mr R.S. Lodhafiled a collateral subpoena, containing two affidavits of Priyamvada Birla, affirmed before the executive magistrate, New Delhi and Calcutta respectively dated March 22, 1996 and April 30, 1996, in respect of mutation of the 19, Aurangzeb Road, New Delhi, property in the name of Priyamvada Birla.

In the affidavit, Priyamvada Birla has stated that M.P. Birla left no will.

Similarly, the Birlas also filed certain documents by way of affidavit, affirmed dated September 8, 2004, where it was stated that the invitation of Mr Ashok Birla's (father of Mr Y. Birla) daughter's marriage was issued in the name of M.P. Birla.

Another document was also annexed, where Priyamvada Birla gifted some cash amount on the occasion of birth of Mr Y. Birla's son. By these documents, the Birlas tried to establish that there is no bitterness in the Birla family.

The court, however, directed both the parties not to submit any additional documents in this issue.

During arguments, Mr P.K. Roy, counsel of Birlas, said that the allegation of Mr R.S. Lodha about the Birla family partition was baseless and false.

The 1993 deed was merely a transaction between Rameswar Birla and Gajanan Birla, father and son. In a huge family like that of the Birlas, this sort of happening is not surprising.

Hence, nobody can take advantage of that because that was simply a family affair.

The counsel lashed out at the issue of bitterness in the Birla family as alleged by Mr R.S. Lodha. He argued that it was a manufactured one.

The hearing will continue.