Kolkata: The Birla-Lodha legal battle for the control of M P Birla group is set to enter an absorbing stage tomorrow (Aug 30, 2004) when the Calcutta High Court would take up two suits by Birlas for probate of the purported mutual wills of 1982 and also for a direction to Rajinder Lodha to hand over the entire assets to its executors.

The matter would be taken up by Justice Kalyanjyoti Sengupta only five days after the same judge heard a lengthy submission by Lodha's counsel in support of the contention that Birlas had no locus standi in the matter of succession in the M P Birla group.

Birlas have been allowed by the court to submit the notorised copies of the purported mutual wills of 1982 on the basis of their argument that the submission of the original copy would be risky as it was not a registered document.

The Lodha side has already declared that they would be opposing Birla's probate application for legal authentication of the purported mutual wills of M P Birla and his wife, Priyamvada Birla.

Birlas have declared that the as per the mutual wills, prepared in 1982, the entire asset of M P Birla group would go to charities and two senior Birla family members - K K Birla and G P Birla, along with Priyamvada's brother Kashinath Tapuria and solicitor Pradeep Khaitan would be the executors of the will.

On the other hand the court has already taken up a probate application of Lodha a long-time auditor of Birla group companies, for legal authentication of purported will of Priyamvada Birla as per which the entire assets worth Rs 5000 crore has been bequeathed to him.