Uddhav Thackeray to cross-examine Jaidev on July 18

Jaidev Thackeray, estranged son of the late Bal Thackeray, who has challenged his will, is going to be cross-examined by Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray through the latter's advocate on July 18 in the Bombay High Court.

Justice Gautam Patel will hear the plea on a daily basis filed by Jaidev. The court is hearing a suit filed by Uddhav and others seeking a probate for the will made by the late Sena supremo. Earlier, the court had asked the parties to settle the dispute, but it was not resolved.

The court has till now examined witnesses F D'Souza, Dr Jalil Parkar and Sena leader Anil Parab. D'Souza told the court that Thackeray had made multiple wills, in all of which the beneficiaries remained the same but the assets willed to each beneficiary kept changing. Most notably, Thackeray divided Matoshree bungalow, his Bandra residence, in a number of different ways across his multiple wills.

Thackeray had prepared and executed his first will in 1997, and thereafter, around eight to nine wills were executed, until the final one in 2011. A dispute arose over the will dated December 13, 2011, after Jaidev moved HC, alleging that his father had not been in sound mind while executing the will.

Uddhav and other petitioners — Parab, former Sena MP and noted lawyer Adhik Shirodkar (who passed away recently), architect Shashi Prabhu and the late Thackeray's personal assistant Ravindra Mhatre — have attached a copy of the will purportedly signed by the late leader in the presence of two witnesses, D'souza of Bandra, and Parkar, a lung specialist who treated the Sena chief for several years.

Thackeray died on November 17, 2012. A copy of the will, which was attached to Uddhav's petition, states that he had appointed Uddhav, Shirodkar, Parab, Prabhu and Mhatre as the executors of the will.