Mumbai brothers in bitter battle over ‘sweet’ legacy

Sons of the deceased owner of a famous chain of sweet shops are fighting a bitter battle over property.

Surendra Kumar Bajaj, an US-based son of Parshottam Dass Ghasitaram — the late owner of Punjabi Ghasitaram Halwai, has dragged his three step brothers, two of their wives, and two more to court, alleging cheating and criminal conspiracy. 
Surendra, a resident of North West Canton has filed a private complaint in the Vikhroli magistrate’s court against step brothers Vinod, Sudhir and Vijay, and two sister-in-laws. He has accused them of fraudulently selling off a Ghatkopar  property. 

“My father Parshottam Dass Ghasitaram passed away in August, 1993. He had performed two marriages… Out of the first marriage with Pushpawati, there were four children — me, Girdhar, Usha A. Malik and Shashi H Arora. Out of the second marriage with Bimlawati, there were four children — Vinod, Sudhir, Vijay and Renuka Khanna,” Surendra has said in his complaint. His father had executed a will in February 1987, leaving all his properties to him and Girdhar in equal shares. 

“In 1989, my father suffered from paralysis and a massive brain stroke … Taking advantage of his illness, Vinod, Sudhir and Vijay fabricated a bogus will, dated 06.02.1990,” Surendra has alleged. The “bogus will” split Parshottam’s property into five equal shares.

The step brothers have not given any share to Surendra and Girdhar as they are permanent US residents.