The Hindu : Business : Birlas raise doubts over Priyamvada's Will

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jul 23, 2004

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Birlas raise doubts over Priyamvada's Will

KOLKATA, JULY 22. Refusing to accept the purported Will of the late Priyamvada Birla as genuine, the Birlas today said they were ready for a legal battle to prevent Rajendra Singh Lodha, an auditor, from walking away with the assets of the M P Birla group worth over Rs. 5,000 crores.

"What has been read by Rajendra Singh Lodha on July 12 before the Birla family cannot be the Will of the late Priyamvada Birla,'' N. G. Khaitan, the Birla family appointed solicitor dealing with the matter, told newsmen here today.

He said this would be one of the arguments put forward by the family in the legal battle in this regard but, "We will decide our whole strategy only after seeing the full contents of the will.''

Mr. Lodha, who was Co-chairman of the M. P. Birla group, had told the Birla family on July 12 that as per the Will of Priyamvada Birla, widow of the late M. P. Birla, the entire assets of the company would go to him. Priyamvada Birla died on July 3.

Mr. Khaitan also refused to give much credence to the reports that P. L. Agarwal, one of the senior lawyers of leading solicitor firm, Khaitan & Company, is a witness in the purported Will.

"He (Mr. Agarwal) might have signed it without knowing the contents,'' he said adding that, "he is only a witness to the document that lawyers often become, but not an executant or party to it.''

Emphasising that the Birla side was ready to fight it out in the court, he said "my job is to defend my client and get justice.'' While refusing to divulge future strategy, Mr. Khaitan said, "This is going to be the most high profile litigation ever fought in India and I am going to fight it through a court of law and not through the media.''

PTI

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