Mumbai: Late Bal Thackeray’s estranged son Jaidev on Friday withdrew his suit challenging his father’s will in the Bombay High Court.
Justice Gautam Patel was hearing a suit filed by him challenging the will, which says, except for the first floor of the three-storey Matoshree bungalow where the Thackerays reside, all properties have been bequeathed only to his younger son, Uddhav Thackeray and his immediate family. While the first floor of the family bungalow has gone to Aishvarya, son of Jaidev and his now divorced wife Smita, nothing has been given to either of Mr. Aishvarya’s parents.
However, on Friday, Mr. Jaidev Thackeray filed an affidavit in which he said he wants to close his suit and did not give any reason for it. The HC then directed the court registry to issue the probate of the will in favour of the Shiv Sena chief and his four family members by November 26.
On July 18, 2016, Mr. Jaidev Thackeray had deposed in the court and said that his father had told him that he would render some property in his name and that he had also made him sign on some documents. He also said that Mr. Uddhav Thackeray had asked him not to disclose it to anyone as it would create unrest in the family. He said even after leaving the house he always tried to keep good ties with the Sena chief by messaging him.
In the earlier hearing, 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. Mr. D’Souza told the court that the late Thackeray had made multiple wills, in all of which the beneficiaries remained the same, but the assets willed to each beneficiary kept changing.
Late Thackeray had prepared and executed his first will in 1997, and thereafter around eight-nine wills were executed, until the final one in 2011.
