NEW DELHI: The Division Bench of the Calcutta High Court on Thursday declined to grant an interim stay on an earlier single bench order which had directed the removal of Harsh Vardhan Lodha from all the positions within the MP Birla Group of Companies.
The earlier judgement had been the result of a dispute between the Birla family and the Lodhas arising from the will of the late Priyamvada Birla, which had left her estate to her accountant R S Lodha and his son H V Lodha.
While Lodha had petitioned the High Court to grant an interim stay, the Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Thottathil B Radhakrishnan and Justice Shampa Sarkar did not do so. “We see that the impugned order refers to material facts; reflects reasons and demonstrates judicial consideration and determination of matters which fall within the domain of Section 247 of the Succession Act.
We cannot treat it as a perverse decision or one which deflects the course of justice; or, that it is not in the best interest of the PDB’s estate,” the order said.