Mafatlal court battle rages on

The Mafatlal family feud refuses to die down. Pursuant to a Bombay High Court order, the Mafatlal family jewels valued at Rs 28 lakh were to be handed over by the family matriarch, Madhuri, to her son Atulya and his wife Sheetal on Thursday. However, the order could not be complied with as Madhuri, 72, did not appear before the court prothonotary.

Madhuri's daughter, Kunti Shah, told the prothonotary A Rodrigues that her mother was unwell. However, both Atulya and Sheetal, who were present in the court, objected to Kunti's presence and said the court had specifically ordered Madhuri to remain present.

Rodrigues has referred the matter back to Justice Roshan Dalvi, who had on January 29 directed that the jewellery lying with the two trusts created by the late Yoginder Mafatlal in March 1973 should be equally divided between Atulya, Sheetal and their two minor children Varun and Mahrushka.

Madhuri had moved HC in September 2005 alleging harassment by Atulya and Sheetal. She sought direction from the court to retain her Altamount Road flat, which she shares with Atulya and his family. Madhuri lives with son Ajay (Aparna prior to the sex change) in one part of the flat.

Madhuri had challen-ged Atulya's claim of being a trustee and thus entitled to the jewellery kept in the trust. After Atulya's counsel showed the court a resolution dated August 18, 1983 which incorporated Atulya as a trustee, the court ordered that the jewellery be handed over to him and others.