SC to hear Birla-Lodha dispute on Aug 7

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Thursday deferred hearing on Birlas' petitions challenging the refusal of their right to object to late Priyamvada Birla's purported 1999 will, under which she bequeathed her Rs 5,000 crore estate to chartered accountant R S Lodha.

A bench comprising Justice B P Singh and Justice H S Bedi adjourned the matter for hearing on August 7 after Birlas' counsel Ram Jethmalani requested the court to give a fixed date without leaving any scope for further delays.

Earlier, the court had issued notices asking Lodha, the representatives and legal heirs of late Laxmi Devi Newar, including Nand Gopal Khaitan, to file their replies within four weeks.

Jethmalani, appearing for the three Birla family members, said the respondents were trying to delay the hearing which was affecting the proceedings pending before the lower court.

"The respondents should be vigorously penalised for their delaying tactics and heavy costs should be imposed on them who are sitting over Rs 5,000-crore charitable assets," he said.

Lodha counsel Indira Jaising said the matter should be adjourned in view of three more petitions being filed. The two petitions, filed by Lodha group and one by the Birlas, was pending before the registry of the court.

The petitions by K K Birla, B K Birla and Yashovardhan Birla had sought caveatable interest in Lodha's probate petition for the M P Birla group's assets.

They had contended it was their duty to see that the Priyamvada Birla estate was not being appropriated and was given to three public charities as designated under the mutual wills executed by M P Birla and his wife Priyamvada Birla in 1982.