In the latest development in the Kalyani family saga, Sugandha Hiremath, sister of industrialists Baba Kalyani and Gaurishankar Kalyani, has filed an amendment application in a Pune court seeking partition of the Hindu Undivided Family (HUF) properties.
Hiremath filed an application on September 28, a copy of which was made available on Thursday.
The application states an amendment in her original 2012 suit, asserting her rights as a co-parcener and requesting partition of the family HUFs. She also submitted an affidavit in a related partition suit filed by Sheetal Kalyani in 2014.
In her affidavit, Hiremath claimed that for years she was led to believe there were no substantial assets within the family HUFs. Since Baba Kalyani took over as the guardian of the family from their father, Neelkanth Kalyani, in 2011, she had relied on his assurances that she would receive her rightful share. However, she alleges that Baba withheld all documents regarding family wealth and failed to disclose the true extent of the assets.
Hiremath stated that she initially believed the family held little beyond a prime plot in Kalyani Nagar, which includes their family home where their late mother lived. According to her, Baba’s attitude shifted after becoming guardian. “Due to the close relationship and belief in the abilities of Baba Kalyani, the plaintiff had almost blind faith in him, believing that her brother would not deprive her of her legitimate rights to the properties, funds, assets, and investments of the joint family,” her affidavit states.
{{/usCountry}}Hiremath stated that she initially believed the family held little beyond a prime plot in Kalyani Nagar, which includes their family home where their late mother lived. According to her, Baba’s attitude shifted after becoming guardian. “Due to the close relationship and belief in the abilities of Baba Kalyani, the plaintiff had almost blind faith in him, believing that her brother would not deprive her of her legitimate rights to the properties, funds, assets, and investments of the joint family,” her affidavit states.
{{/usCountry}}Her perspective changed in 2023 when she alleged Baba attempted to seize control of her company, revealing his intention to prioritise his own interests over those of the family. “It is only in 2023, when Defendant No. 3 attempted to usurp the plaintiff’s company, that Hiremath realised that Baba would go to any extent to deprive his siblings and family members of their share in the family assets,” her affidavit states.
Further support for her claims came from an affidavit dated December 9, 2022, by her late mother, Sulochana Neelkanth Kalyani, presented in a testamentary petition. In it, Sulochana reportedly stated that Baba had instigated her to file legal proceedings and that she was retracting all actions initiated on his behalf, including revoking her 2012 Will, as she was unaware of the true nature of those documents.
Hiremath has listed 250 companies, both listed and unlisted, under the control of Baba and Gaurishankar Kalyani, which she claims have a combined market capitalisation of approximately ₹1 lakh crore. She also identified 76 immovable properties and is seeking her rightful share as a co-parcener in all family assets, asserting that they were acquired from the family’s nucleus.