Tuesday, December 21 2004 20:34 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Kolkata: Justice P N Sinha of the Calcutta High Court was today (Dec 21, 2004) assigned the criminal case filed by the Birlas against Rajendra S Lodha, which was yesterday (Dec 21, 2004) released by Justice D P Sengupta citing 'compelling circumstances'.

Justice Sinha is likely to take up the matter tomorrow (Dec 22, 2004), wherein Lodha's associate S N Prasad prayed for quashing of criminal proceedings against him, Lodha, Gauri Shankar and S K Daga before a city court.

Justice Sengupta had expressed his unwillingness to further hear the criminal case filed by Birlas against Lodha, citing 'compelling circumstances' without giving further details.

The matter had gone back to Acting Chief Justice A N Ray, who reassigned the matter to Justice Sinha.

Justice S P Mitra, who heard the matter on Dec 8, 2004 in the absence of Justice Sengupta, had stayed the proceedings before the SDJM court till December 16.

Subsequently Justice Sengupta heard the matter for three days in which two sides indulged in bitter exchanges with noted criminal lawyer Ram Jethmalani along with S K Kapur appearing for Birlas and Pradip Ghosh and Joymalya Bagchi for Lodhas.

It was alleged by Rajinder Prasad Pansari on behalf of Birlas before Alipore SDJM court that Lodha had committed a fraud on Priyamvada Birla, who by her purported will had bequeathed the entire assets to him.