The Hindu : Business : Birla-Lodha case: single bench order set aside

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Friday, Oct 12, 2007
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Birla-Lodha case: single bench order set aside

Special Correspondent

Division Bench sees no reason to appoint an administrator

KOLKATA: The Division Bench of the Calcutta High Court on Thursday set aide the order appointing Administrators over the business and companies of M. P. Birla group passed on May 19, 2006, by the single bench, giving a new twist to the row over three-year-long legal battle between the Birlas and their former auditor R. S. Lodha over the property of the late M. P. Birla. Mr. Lodha’s solicitor, Debanjan Mandal of Fox Mandal, said the division bench went on to hold, after having considered the arguments of the Birlas and on behalf of R. S. Lodha, that it did not find any ‘necessity’ to appoint any administrator over the M. P. Birla group.

However, Mr. Lodha will have to maintain and furnish accounts of the estate of M. P. Birla’s widow, Priyamvada Birla, including the income and dividend from shares of late Priyamvada Birla.

Thursday’s judgment and order was delivered by Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghose and Justice Tapan Kumar Dutt.

Intense litigation had started since the demise of Priyamavada Birla in July 2004 after Mr. Lodha applied for the probate of a purported Will which itself has now become a matter of dispute. Senior members of the Birla clan filed appeals in the Calcutta High Court in a case which drew top legal counsel from the country to a case which was heard in jam-packed court rooms.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court on Thursday reserved the judgment in the corss-appeals filed by the Birlas and R. S. Lodha challenging each other’s right to object to late Priyamvada Birla’s purported 1999 Will and late M. P. Birla’s 1982 Will, respectively.

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