Kalyani family dispute: Sister Sugandha Hiremath accuses younger brother Gaurishankar of transferring family assets

The Hindu

18 hours ago

In a fresh development concerning the Kalyani family property dispute, Mumbai-based Sugandha Hiremath has alleged that her brothers have been 'clandestinely' transferring family assets.
In her recent affidavit filed before the court, she has detailed two instances of her younger brother Gaurishankar Kalyani 'usurping' family assets in Karad. A message to sent to Mr. Kalyani's family seeking a response remained unanswered.
Ms. Hiremsth has detailed how her younger brother used his goodwill with their father Dr. Neelkanth Kalyani into obtaining a Power of Attorney (POA) to manage his assets in Karad.
The POA was meant only for managing the properties located in prime localities of Karad. However, while executing the document, the same was amended to grant power of 'gifting and transferring.'
Moreover, name of a Gaurishankar group company's employee was also included in the POA in 2008. Using the document, two large properties were then transferred to Mr. Kalyani. Ms. Hiremath's affidavit details that as soon as Dr. Neelkanth Kalyani found out about the 'fraud' in 2009, he revoked the POA and also moved court.
According to Ms. Hiremath, the two properties were 'illegally and wrongfully' transferred exclusively to Mr. Kalyani on the basis of a Power of Attorney which was 'dishonestly and fraudulently' obtained from Dr. Neelkanth Kalyani.
To back her claim, she has attached a statement filed by Prakash Honrao, the employee of Gaurishankar's group company, in Karad court. In his statement, Mr. Honrao admitted in court that he was forced to accept the POA in his name and subsequently to transfer the properties using the document.
This, according to him, was done under coercion from Mr. Kalyani's wife Ms. Rohini. He stated that since he was an employment of Mr. Kalyani and Ms. Rohini, he had no choice. The cases relating to the two properties filed by Dr. Neelkanth Kalyani are still pending in Karad court.
'On the one hand, my brothers deny the existence of the joint family nucleus as well the status of the properties of the Kalyani Family HUF, and in the same breath, both my brothers — Baba and Gaurishankar — are continuing to clandestinely transfer HUF properties to themselves by resorting to all sorts of nefarious means, and without maintaining any record of such transfers,' Ms. Hiremath said in her affidavit.
She had filed a case earlier this year seeking her share in family wealth. She had sought injunction restraining her brothers from alienating any of the family assets which include several properties across the country and shares of about 250 companies. She has also sought that the court orders her brothers to reveal details of all the family properties.
With fresh evidence, she has now asked the court to consider her plea to restrain her brothers Mr. Kalyani and Mr. Baba Kalyani from alienating any assets, including promoter shares of multiple Kalyani group companies, till the partition suit is decided.
According to a statement issued on behalf of Baba Kalyani, 'Despite filing a barrage of cases, Sugandha Hiremath has failed to secure a single order in her favour from the courts evidencing the falsehood of her claims.' 'Sugandha Hiremath has therefore resorted to trial by media. The allegations against Mr. Baba Kalyani are baseless and malicious and are categorically denied,' the statement added.