Wednesday, November 9 2005 11:38 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Mumbai: The family fued between Madhuri Mafatlal, wife of industrialist late Yogindra Mafatlal, and her son Atulya, has taken a new twist with Atulya claiming that family jewellery worth Rs ten crore was missing from the safe in their house.

Atulya, who has been dragged to civil court in Mumbai by Madhuri Mafatlal for allegedly trying to evict her and other members of the family from the house, has dashed off a letter to his mother asking about the jewellery worth Rs ten crore which is found missing from the safe in the residence, according to Atulya's lawyer Satish Maneshinde.

Madhuri has written back to Atulya saying the jewellery was very much in her possession and would be handed over to Atulya and his wife Sheetal as soon as the family trust comes to an end in January 2006, the lawyer told PTI yesterday (Nov 8, 2005).

Meanwhile, Atulya has made a statement before the Bombay High Court, which is hearing the civil suit filed by his mother, that he would not evict his mother or any other family members from the family house. He also undertook to remove the security guards forthwith from the house which he had placed in view of alleged theft of family valuables from the house.

The suit is pending before the court and would come up for hearing after Diwali vacation, lawyer Maneshinde said, adding that so far Atulya had not filed any reply and would do so whenever the court asked him.

Late Yogendra Mafatlal had during his life time given control of the Mafatlal companies to Atulya and had also distributed family property to Atulya and his four daughters, Kunti, Gayatri, Malvika and Aparna and their husbands, Aparna had undergone a sex change operation and is known as Ajay Mafatlal, family sources said.

Atulya's lawyer Maneshinde said, "My client has enough evidence to show that his mother, Madhuri Mafatlal, has been pressurised by her children to file the civil suit which prays that she and her family members should not be evicted from the family house."

The security guards were posted by Atulya because of theft of family valuables from the house which was reported to police by Atulya's wife, Sheetal, a month ago, the lawyer said.

He said late Yogendra Mafatlal had created all benefits in the family trust for use of his natural-born son Atulya to carry on the legacy of the family.

The lawyer also claimed that Yogindra had not left behind any will and so far no member of the family had produced any will.

Meanwhile, family sources dubbed as 'rubbish' media reports that Aparna alias Ajay had undergone sex operation only to claim share in the family property. "Those were for personal reasons," they said.

Asked to comment on the allegations, Ajay Mafatlal said, "This is too personal and I would not like to comment."