Ex-Tata employee leaves posh property to caregiver’s granddaughter who brought him love in his final years

In a touching story of love beyond blood ties, a city civil court has granted a young woman the right to inherit a flat left to her by an 89-year-old man who cared for her like a daughter.

Gustad Borjorji Engineer, a former employee of Tata Industries, passed away in February 2014. A month before his death, he wrote a will leaving behind his 159-square yard flat in Shahibaug, Ahmedabad, to 13-year-old Amisha Makwana, the granddaughter of his long-time caregiver.

Engineer had no children of his own. His wife had died in 2001, and he had no surviving legal heirs. Over the years, he developed a close bond with young Amisha, who often visited his home with her grandmother, who worked for the Engineer family as a cook.


According to the will, written on 12 January 2014 in the presence of two witnesses and notarised, Engineer wanted Amisha to have the flat. At the time, she was still a minor, so he named his nephew, Behram Engineer, as the executor and her legal guardian until she reached adulthood.

In 2023, Amisha approached the city civil court through her lawyer, advocate Adil Saiyed, to request probate of the will, the legal process that confirms a will is valid. She told the court that she had lived with Engineer, cared for him, and that he saw her as family. Out of love and affection, he had left her the property.

The court issued a public notice asking if anyone had objections to the will, but no one came forward. Engineer’s own brother even submitted a No Objection Certificate in Amisha’s favour. On 2 August 2025, the court granted probate and issued her a succession certificate, officially transferring ownership of the property to her.

Now an adult working in the human resources department of a private firm, Amisha fondly remembers her bond with the man she called “Tai.”

“He was like both my mother and father. Until I was 13, he was my protective shield,” she told The Times of India (TOI).

She also revealed that Engineer had once considered adopting her, but ultimately chose not to. “He didn’t want to change my religion or identity. He knew adoption might separate me from my own parents. He always hoped that I would receive love and care from both families,” she said.

Inputs from TOI