Kolkata: Two years on, the bitter legal battle for the control of M P Birla Group between Birla family and Rajinder Lodha rages on with more than half a dozen cases pending at various stages.
It was exactly two years ago on July 3, 2004, that the childless Priyamvada Birla died sparking off the unusual battle in the history of corporate India for the control of Rs 5,000 crore worth of M P Birla estate.
The Birlas, who had earlier declared that the entire clan was united in their battle to protect the M P Birla group from an 'oustider', have scored crucial legal victories during the course of the last couple of years.
But Lodha, showing a never-say-die attitude has been clinging on to control the disputed estate, claimed to have been bequeathed to him by a purported will of Priyamvada Birla of 1999.
The Birlas had demanded that the entire estate should go to the charities as per a mutual purported will of M P Birla and Priyamvada made in 1982.
Lodha initially challenged the caveatable interest of Birla family members in his probate application for purported will of Priyamvada except the two sisters of M P Birla.
But later, the Calcutta High Court accepted the caveatable interest of G P Birla while rejecting those of B K Birla, K K Birla and Yashovardhan Birla, grand-nephew of M P Birla.
The Birlas, however, moved division bench challenging the single judge order.
Simultaneously, Birlas filed a criminal case against Lodha before Alipur Court here against which Lodha moved a criminal revision application before the High Court for quashing the proceedings against him.
But it was dismissed by the court. Lodha's SLP before the Supreme Court was also rejected subsequently.
On the plea of Birlas the High Court also appointed four administrators to the estate of M P Birla but Lodha obtained a repreive from a division bench to retain his position as the chairman of the company.
The legal battle had also gone to the Company Law Board with the Birlas earlier trying to stop Lodha from presiding over the annual general meeting of M P Birla flagship, Birla Corporation. But the CLB allowed Lodha to preside over the meeting.
In a setback to Lodha, however, the CLB Kolkata bench, termed the transfer of Priyamvada Birla's shares in his name as, 'wrongful' directing that the same should be restored in the name of the original owner.
A complaint has also been filed before the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India against Lodha and his two sons, Harsh and Aditya Lodha.
The Lodhas had subsequently moved a writ before the High Court challenging the procedure of ICAI's handling the complaint but the same had been dismissed by the court.
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