SC appoints ex-apex court judge as mediator in Lalit Modi's family property dispute

New Delhi [India], August 1 : The Supreme Court on Monday appointed former apex court judge Justice RV Raveendran as a mediator to settle a dispute between former IPL head Lalit Modi and his mother Bina Modi and his siblings to resolve a long pending property dispute in the family.
A bench of Chief Justice NV Ramana, Justices Krishna Murari and Hima Kohli observed that counsels appearing for both sides agreed that they would go without any pre-condition and with an open mind to settle the dispute in mediation.
It said, "We also think the issue can be resolved by way of mediation. Accordingly, we appoint Justice RV Raveendran, a retired judge of this court, to mediate and settle the dispute."
The bench also asked the parties to maintain confidentiality during the mediation. It has now listed the matter for hearing after four weeks.
Lalit Modi and his mother July 28 had told the top court that the court-mandated mediation to resolve a long pending property dispute in the family had failed.
On December 16, 2021, the apex court-appointed former apex court judges - Justices Vikramjit Sen and Kurian Joseph - to mediate and help them to find an amicable solution.
The apex court was hearing an appeal filed by Lalit Modi challenging the division Bench judgement of the Delhi High Court that the anti-arbitration injunction lawsuit filed by Bina Modi, wife of late industrialist KK Modi, against her son is maintainable.
Lalit Modi's mother Bina Modi, his sister Charu and brother Samira had filed the plea in the High court seeking to restrain the arbitration proceedings initiated by Lalit Modi in Singapore over property disputes in the family.
They, in two separate suits, had contended that there was a trust deed between the family members and the KK Modi family trust matters cannot be settled through arbitration in a foreign country according to Indian laws.
They had sought a permanent injunction restraining Lalit Modi from prosecuting or continuing with the application for emergency measures and any arbitration proceedings against them in Singapore.
The division bench of the High Court in December 2020 had set aside the judgement of a single judge of the High Court, which had said it does not have the jurisdiction to adjudicate the anti-arbitration injunction suits filed by Lalit Modi's mother and siblings and they are open to taking such pleas before the arbitral tribunal in Singapore.
It had held that it has the jurisdiction to decide Bina Modi's plea challenging Lalit Modi's move to initiate arbitration proceedings in Singapore.