Bombay high court orders status quo in Amrohi property row

The Bombay high court on Friday directed Mahal Pictures private Ltd, Tajdar Amrohi (son of late film-maker Kamal Amrohi), and the other parties to maintain status quo in the transaction of 3,600 share certificates pertaining to family property till March 12, 2010. The court also directed them to not hold a meeting with a private builder which is scheduled for March 9.

The film-maker's younger son Shandar Amrohi has moved high court alleging that his sister Rukhsar Amrohi and her son Wasim had fraudulently pledged his shares to a private builder. The shares are said to be worth Rs40 crore.

"The said act on part of the defendants is a perpetrated fraud," said Shandar's advocates Navoz Seerwai and Darshan Mehta.

"The resolution in a meeting which was held on February 25 is falsely and utterly illegally passed. Even Tajdar Amrohi had expressed his disapproval for the resolution and my client had never applied for transfer of said shares."

Defending Rukhsar and Wasim, senior counsel Janak Dwarkadas and Biren Saraf argued that all that has been said in the complaint is not the gospel truth.

A sprawling property off the Jogeshwari-Vikhroli Link Road has become a bone of contention for the family.

Shandar had earlier said that he wanted to will his entire property to actress Preity Zinta, who he considers as his daughter.
The case will now come up for hearing on March 11.