SC dismisses Birlas' plea in Rs5,000 crore estate case

31 March 2008

Mumbai: The Supreme Court today dismissed three petitions filed by Birla family members challenging  a Calcutta high court order that denied them the right to object to the purported 1999 will of the late Priyamvada Birla assigning the Rs5,000 crore estate to chartered accountant R S Lodha.

The court also dismissed another petition by the Birlas challenging Lodha's right to object to M P Birla and his wife Priyamvada`s 1982 will, through which the couple left their property for charity.

Through a purportedly revised 1999 will after her husband`s death, Priyamvada had bequeathed her Rs5,000 crore estate to Lodha.

A bench headed by Justice S B Sinha, while dismissing the petitions, imposed cost of Rs10 lakh (2.5 lakh each) on the petitions filed by the three Birla family members - K K Birla, B K Birla and Yashovardhan Birla.

It also directed the Birlas to deposit the money with the West Bengal Legal Services Cell within four weeks.

The benh, however, upheld the caveatable interest of another Birla family member, G P Birla, executor of the purported 13 July 1982 will of M P Birla and his wife Priyamvada.