Submit details of late brother’s assets, composer Sajid told by Bombay HC – Hindustan Times

The Bombay high court (HC) last week directed music composer Sajid Khan of Sajid-Wajid fame and his mother to submit details of all the investments and assets of his late brother Wajid, along with the audited accounts, to establish their total worth.

The directions were issued after Wajid’s wife Kamalrukh approached the court, seeking probate of a will made by the late music composer in 2012, in which he had bequeathed most of his assets to his wife and children. The wife claimed that after Wajid’s untimely death due to Covid-19 last June, Khan had been trying to transfer all of her late husband’s assets to their mother’s name, and thus refusing any benefits to the petitioner and her two children.

The single bench of justice Gautam Patel, while hearing the interim application in the testamentary petition filed by Kamalrukh Khan, Wajid’s wife through video-conferencing was informed that she sought directions to her mother-in-law, Khan and her late husband’s chartered accountant to furnish details of all properties and assets, including eight paintings of MF Husain and other renowned painters, in his name which he had earned during his illustrious career of more than 20 years in Bollywood.

Kamalrukh claimed that Wajid had amassed immovable and movable assets in his name, valued in crores of rupees, and also had a share in the Sajid-Wajid Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) firm floated by the two brothers. However, after Wajid’s demise, Sajid had been trying to transfer the properties in his name for himself and their mother and hence she sought details of all properties and assets in the name of Wajid, Kamalrukh claimed.

Advocate Zubin Behramkamdin, who along with Bahraiz and Behzad Irani represented Kamalrukh, informed the bench that she did not convert to Islam after marriage and remained a Parsi, as a result of which Wajid’s mother did not like her. Wajid had executed the Hibahnama (gift deed) last May in which he allegedly “desired to give nothing to his children and Kamalrukh”. Moreover, they applied for “letters of administration” of Wajid’s estate, based on the Hibahnama , without informing Kamalrukh, following which she moved HC.

Wajid had tried to pacify his mother by filing for divorce, but never pursued it. The advocates submitted that there was no animosity between the couple and hence, after his demise, his property should be inherited by his wife, mother and children, which was his intention as per his will he prepared in 2012. The will was not probated, and a case awaiting its adjudication in HC is pending.

Khan and his mother’s advocate Birendra Saraf informed the court that they would not create any third-party rights in the property in Wajid’s name till the next hearing, which was accepted by the bench.

Thereafter justice Patel directed, “The Respondents will file an affidavit in reply on or before 21st April 2021. The Reply is to disclose the entire estate of the deceased the late Mr Wajid S Khan along with the necessary tax returns and their accompanied computation of income or sale. Also required will be the returns of the Limited Liability Company in which the deceased had an interest. All other similar commercial entities in which the deceased had any interest or share (apart from regular investments) are also to be disclosed with their complete financials.”

The petition is posted for hearing for Friday.