Ardee Group’s Daughter versus Mother in the Delhi High Court

Hearing in a high profile property dispute is progressing in Delhi High Court. The dispute is between Shefali Varma (plaintiff), daughter of Ardee Group’s late Chairman and Managing Director Ashok Varma and her mother and sister (defendants)..The plaintiff, who is the current Chairperson of Ardee Group has filed a suit for partition against her mother and sister claiming that a family settlement reached during the lifetime of Ashok Verma, signed by all the parties, was not being honoured. It was also claimed that the defendants were not acting in the best interest of the companies..On May 15, 2017 the Court had restrained the defendants from creating any third party interest in the unsold plots, flats etc. in Ardee City, Gurgaon without any written concurrence of the plaintiff..Thereafter, the plaintiff moved a contempt petition alleging violation of court orders by the defendants stating that various flats, shops, plots etc. were proposed to be sold by the defendants..Senior Advocate Vivek Sood, appearing for the plaintiff, submitted that the parties were hopeful for a settlement but the defendants were mischievously trying to create third party rights..Appearing for the defendants, Senior Advocate Akhil Sibal submitted that the defendants are merely negotiating with prospective buyers and the negotiations were done only to save the parties to litigation from losses..He also argued that no deal has been executed till date, though some amounts have been collected towards security deposit qua some spaces..On May 26, the Single Judge Bench of Justice Yogesh Khanna directed the defendants to file affidavits showing that neither the possession of any portion of Ardee Mall has been handed over nor any Deed, creating any third party right, has been executed..The defendants were also directed to file a complete statement of account of security deposits received by them..The matter will be next heard on July 21..Read the order below.