Rajan Mittal to breathe easy, SC appeal against him dropped

Mittal was the highest bidder of 38, Amrita Shergill Marg

Bharti Group promoter Rajan Bharti Mittal can breathe easy now with Supreme Court dismissing the apeal filed by co-owner Shivraj Kishan Gupta against HC's recent order upholding the auction of the property -- 38, Amrita Shergill Marg in which Mittal was the highest bidder.

Gupta's appeal was dismissed today, according to people close to the development.

Mittal has also filed the papers in the district court for transfer of property in his name.

The high court on February 1 had upheld the auction in which Mittal was the highest bidder, at a little over Rs 156 crore. This is among the biggest deals in residential realty in recent times. The 3,500 sq yd bungalow, on a road houses other wealthy industrialists including Mittal’s brother Bharti Group Chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal, has been under litigation since 1980. Rajan Mittal had bid for the bungalow at Rs 156.5 crore. A co-owner, Shivraj Kishan Gupta, bid higher at Rs 165 crore but only after the Mittal tender was opened. The auction was challenged by Gupta. The arguments in the case were concluded in January. The HC was overseeing the auction.

The case can be traced back to four Gupta brothers-Brij Kishan Gupta, Chandra Kishan Gupta, Gopal Kishan Gupta and Avtar Kishan Gupta. Two of them, Brij Kishan and Gopal Kisha, have expired. Shivraj, the main litigant, is the heir of Brij Kishan. Gopal Kishan’s son, Balraj Kishan, and daughter Anjali were also fighting the case. The auction was triggered by a property dispute among the Gupta brothers. The first partition suit was filed in the HC in 1980. A number of lawyers had argued in the case, including senior advocates.