The Pune civil court on Monday accepted the request of the Hiremath siblings to go for mediation to resolve their dispute with uncle Baba N Kalyani over the division of family assets under the Kalyani Hindu Undivided Family (HUF).

Granting its consent to the Hiremath siblings’ request, the court gave them 60 days to seek mediation and settle the dispute.

The children of Bharat Forge chairman Baba Kalyani’s sister Sugandha Hiremath’s – Sameer Hiremath and Pallavi Hiremath-Swadi — had filed a lawsuit seeking division of assets within the Kalyani HUF, aiming for a one/ninth share in all assets. They petitioned the Pune civil court to freeze the HUF’s assets, valued at `65,000-70,000 crore, and halt Kalyani and other senior members of the family from disposing of properties.

Hiremath siblings’ counsel Shailendra Aglawe presented the option of mediation and told the court that Kalyani’s claims against the family’s elders were disturbing and harmed the family’s reputation. The siblings informed the court that they were willing to go in for mediation with their uncle as they were deeply anguished by the “mud-slinging” in the court.

Aglawe said the siblings filed a rejoinder in court on Monday, denying all the hurtful statements. “To prevent any further mud-slinging in court, we suggested mediation. We applied that effect. The court has agreed to refer the matter to mediation,” he said.

However, Kalyani’s counsel Amit Agashe opposed the move. The court gave the lawyers time to revert to their respective clients, seek consent and reassemble for the hearing. After the break, the Hiremath siblings gave their consent, but there was no consent from Kalyani.

Giving consent for mediation, the court said that as this was a family dispute, even if one of them sought mediation, the court could allow it. The judge gave them 60 days to go through the mediation process.

A statement from the Kalyani Group spokesperson called the suit filed by Hiremath children ‘frivolous’. “Having filed a frivolous suit before the Pune local court seeking partition of alleged properties of Kalyani family HUF, both Sameer Hiremath and Pallavi Swadi have now sought permission of the hon’ble court to permit mediation of the dispute. The proposal to mediate in the pending dispute itself demonstrates that both have no cause of action in filing the partition suit. Both petitioners have been indulging in making malicious attempts to defame certain named family members,” the spokesperson said.

The Hiremath siblings accused Kalyani of lying under oath and perjury. They maintained that he had created an empire with the wealth handed over by their great-grandfather. 

They had approached the Pune civil court earlier this year. In response, Baba filed a reply, denying the very existence of any family HUF. He also told the court that the siblings had no right to any family wealth, being children of Sugandha, his sister and daughter of the Kalyani family.