Birlas suffer a big blow; Lodha Group upbeat

Kolkata, Dec 21: The R S Lodha group was upbeat today following Calcutta High Court verdict denying rights for caveat to three Birla members in the 1999 Will of Priyamvada Birla, by which she had bequeathed auditor R S Lodha the Rs 5000 crore M P Birla empire.

A Bench comprising Justice Tapan Kumar Dutta and Justice Pinaki Ghosh held that only G P Birla enjoyed the legitimate right of filing a caveat in the case.

Three members of the Birla family, whose caveatable interests were denied by the court, were B K Birla, K K Birla and Yasovardhan Birla.

The three said they would move the Supreme Court within four weeks to challenge the order of the Bench.

The Birlas and Auditor R S Lodha are locked in a legal wrangle, following disclosure of Priyamvada Birla's Will, through which she bequeathed Mr Lodha the huge M P Birla empire.

Mr Lodha himslf went to the Birla residence in South Kolkata and read out the details of the Will to the family.

The Birlas immediately moved the court, chalenging the veracity of the Will.

UNI