Kolkata: Refusing to accept the purported Will of Priyamvada Birla as genuine the Birlas today (July 22, 2004) said that they were ready for a legal battle to prevent Rajendra Singh Lodha, a leading auditor, to walk away with the assets of M P Birla group worth over Rs 5000 crore.

"What has been read by Rajendra Singh Lodha on July 12 before the Birla family cannot be the Will of late Priyamvada Birla," N G Khaitan, the Birla family appointed solicitor dealing with the matter, told reporters in Kolkata today.

He said that this would be one of the arguments put forward by the family in the legal battle in this regard but, "we will decide our whole strategy only after seeing the full contents of the Will."

Lodha, who was co-chairman of M P Birla group, had told the Birla family on July 12 that as per the Will of Priyamvada Birla, widow of M P Birla, the entire assets of the company would go to him. Priyamvada Birla died on July 3.

Khaitan also refused to give much credence to the reports that P L Agarwal, one of the senior lawyers of leading solicitor firm, Khaitan & Company, is a witness in the purported Will.

"He (Agarwal) might have signed it without knowing the contents," he said adding that, "He is only a witness to the document that lawyers often become, but not an executant or party to it."

Emphasising that Birla side was ready to fight out the matter in the court, he said, "My job is to defend my client and get justice".