Bombay High Court nudges feuding Kalyani siblings towards mediation

The Bombay High Court has nudged warring factions of the Pune-based Kalyani family to resolve their differences through mediation.

The siblings Baba Kalyani, Sugandha Hiremath and Gaurishankar Kalyani, along with their children, have been fighting legal battles for several years now across multiple judicial forums over claims arising from the Hindu Undivided Family (HUF) matter.

On Friday, Justice Rajesh Patil, hearing the matter, suggested that the parties could explore mediation to resolve this and other pending intra‑family claims.


The court’s suggestion came during consideration of an interim application in a suit brought by Sughanda Hiremath seeking enforcement of a 1994 family agreement. The application challenges the maintainability of her suit.

In response to the court’s suggestion, counsel Kunal Dwarkadas, who is appearing for Sughanda Hiremath along with law firm RJD & Partners, said that they are willing to attempt mediation despite a prior attempt having failed.

Senior Counsel Dr Veerendra Tulzapukar, representing Baba Kalyani, and counsel for another brother, Gaurishankar Kalyani, sought time from the court to obtain instructions from their respective clients.

The court has allowed the time to seek instruction and has listed the matter for April 15, 2026.

Also Read: Kalyani family feud deepens: Hiremath siblings move court for share in HUF assets

When contacted, Rahul Dwarkadas, a partner at law firm RJD & Partners, confirmed the development and said it would be a positive development, but refused to divulge any details since the matter is sub judice.

Earlier in 2024, Sugandha’s children, Sameer Hiremath and Pallavi Swadi, had proposed mediation while seeking their share in ancestral wealth in the Pune court. The Pune court referred the matter to the District Legal Services Authority in July 2024. By October 2024, DLSA filed a report that mediation had failed.

In March 2023, Jai and Sugandha Hiremath had approached the Bombay High Court against Baba Kalyani seeking a ‘performance obligation’ as per the family arrangement to transfer the share of the speciality chemical company in favour of the Hiremath family.

In August 2023, Hikal, in its regulatory disclosure, said that its promoters, Sugandha Hiremath and Jai Hiremath, who are spouses, had entered into a family arrangement with Baba Kalyani, Sugandha's brother, in 1994. As per this arrangement, the Kalyani family was to transfer all its stake in Hikal to Sugandha Hiremath.

“I have always believed that family matters are best resolved within the family, and it has been deeply distressing for me to see our private issues play out so publicly,” said Sugandha Hiremath, sister of Baba and Gaurishankar Kalyani. “Courts have increasingly supported such processes, and several prominent families have successfully resolved their differences through mediation. I remain open and committed to that path, in the hope of restoring both a resolution and a sense of family harmony,” she said.

Mediation is increasingly becoming a powerful tool for resolving family disputes.

Also Read: Kalyani Group: How a piece of paper triggered brother-sister dispute

Ruchi Khatlawala, a partner at the law firm Little & Co, said the process is conducted by a neutral third party and is very cost-effective and faster than other dispute resolution methods, hence gaining traction.

Recently, the feud between brothers Mehul and Hemang Jadavji Shah over control of Great White Global Pvt Ltd was resolved, with the former emerging as the successful bidder to take control of the company. Last year, when the dispute reached the Supreme Court, the warring brothers agreed to resolve their differences through mediation after the court suggested it. The court had appointed a retired judge, Justice AS Oka, as the mediator.

Similarly, last year, brothers and realtors Abhishek and Abhinandan Lodha reached an amicable settlement over the use of the brand 'Lodha'. In the dispute, the Bombay High Court had appointed Justice RV Raveendran, a former Supreme Court judge, to act as a mediator.