City court summons Lodha's associates

Kolkata, Sep 7 (UNI) A city court has summoned auditor Rajendra Singh Lodha and his five associates for the alleged charges of forging Directors' Minute Book of the Rameshwara Jute Mills Limited.

The Metropolitan Magistrate court has fixed the hearing of the case on December 4.

N G Khaitan, solicitor of the Birlas, told a press conference today that forensic department had corroborated the fact that some of the pages of the minute book of the Rameshwara Jute Mills Limited have been forged.

''The examination of the documents were carried as per the order of the metropolitan court,'' he said.

Mr Khaitan said the forensic department conducted a thorough scrutiny of the questioned documents including study of the reflectance spectra of the ink used in computer print outs.

''The examiners have given a detailed finding,'' he said adding that the said report was filed by the officer-in-charge of Hare Street police station before the 15th learned metropolitan magistrate, Kolkata.'' The case relates to a complaint filed by the Rameshwara Jute Mills Limited against Shiva Nath Prasad, Sunil Kumar Daga, Krishna Damani, Ramesh Kumar Damani and P K Ganeriwala, who are close associates of Mr Lodha.

''The accused had conspired criminally to deprive the company which was earlier managed by the M P Birla group and changed hands in September last year of its dominion over the company's property situated at Parliament Street , New Delhi,'' he said.

''For this purpose they fabricated and forged documents and records, including Directors' Minute Book which came to light upon the present management taking over the reins of the company,'' Mr Khaitan said.

UNI XC KK YA ND1816