The hither-to under-the-wraps property dispute in the Thackeray household has come into the open now, with late Sena chief Bal Thackeray’s estranged second son Jaidev contesting the will left by the Sena patriarch in the Bombay High Court on the alleged ground that his father – suffering as he had been from “cognitive dysfunction” – might not have signed the will at all.
Uddhav, the youngest son of late Thackeray and current Sena president, and four others – party leader-cum-lawyer Anil Parab, noted lawyer Adik Shirodkar, architect Shashi Prabhu and late party chief’s personal assistant Ravindra Mhatre, have been named as the executors of the will, which was purportedly signed on December 13, 2011 – eleven months before the Sena patriarch’s death. The Sena patriarch had purportedly signed his will in the presence of his personal physician Dr Jalil Parkar and Bandra-based lawyer Flanian D’souza.
Ahead of the probation of the disputed will – for which Uddhav and four other executors moved the Bombay High Court in January last year, a property dispute has rocked the Thackeray household, with the aggrieved son Jaidev taking on his younger brother Uddhav legally over the division of their late father’s properties and bank deposits, which have been valued at `14.85 crore in the will.
The dispute has stemmed from the fact that the Sena patriarch, who passed away on November 17, 2012, has not left any “share” for either Jaidev or family of his eldest son Bindumadhav, who died in a road accident in 1996.
In a 90-page affidavit filed before the HC, Jaidev has said that the Sena patriarch – suffering as he was from “cognitive dysfunction” – might not have signed the December 13, 2011 will as was being claimed by Uddhav and four others.
Jaidev has contested his late father's will on the ground that the value of properties and bank deposits was much more than `14.85 crore, as cited in the petition filed in the high court seeking the probation of late Thackeray’s purported will. However, Madhavi, widow of late Bindumadhav, has not contested the will.
On its part, the Bombay High Court has converted the petition filed by Uddhav, the maximum beneficiary of his father’s will, along with four other executioners, and Jaidev’s affidavit into a testamentary suit. The matter is expected to come for hearing before Justice Roshan Dalvi of the high court on January 27.
In his affidavit, Jaidev has also contested the cited value (`14.85 cr) of properties and bank deposits willed by his father, saying the amount was far less considering the “Matoshri” where the Sena patriarch lived, was alone worth `40 crore.
Jaidev has also stated that he had a reason to believe that his late father owned several other properties, bank deposits and ornaments, which were worth several crores of rupees, but said these properties and valuables did not find a mention in the probate petition filed by his younger brother Uddhav and four others.