Rajendra S Lodha, the chartered accountant who has been bequeathed M P Birla Group's industrial assets worth more than Rs 5,000 crore, remains incommunicado.
Rajendra S Lodha, the chartered accountant who has been bequeathed M P Birla Group's industrial assets worth more than Rs 5,000 crore by Priyamvada Birla, has become incommunicable for the media since the will was opened on Monday evening.
Lodha's two sons, A V and H V Lodha, have also not been available for comments even as the Birla clan announced that Priyamvada's will would be legally challenged.
Lodha's daughter-in-law was the only member of his family who could be contacted over phone; she refused to make any comment on the development.
"Really, I can't say anything on the will and also on the move of the Birlas to challenge it in court," Lodha's daughter-in-law said.
Meanwhile, sources in Birla family claimed that all the procedures that are required to be followed in case of such will have not been followed by Lodha when he announced the contents of will on Monday.
"All proceedings have not been followed, like it (the will) should be opened in presence of all the family members," said a Birla family insider.
"If moral ground is any consideration, the assets of the group should have gone to Yashovardhan Birla, son of Ashok Vardhan Birla who died in a plane crash, and grandson of M P Birla's brother Gajanan Birla," said a B K Birla group official.
Birla family members have decided to challenge Priyamvada's will.
"It (the will) is not logical. How can you swallow this tablet," Birla family sources said.
"There should be some basis of giving it to somebody. There is nothing available as of now to this effect," the sources said.
Birlas also believe that the will might not have been signed by witnesses. "We will have to ascertain the integrity and social status of the witnesses, if there were any."
"Based on these factors, we feel that the will is not genuine and it is a fabricated one," sources said.
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