Dawoodi Bohra succession case: Syedna Taher Fakhruddin Saheb cross-examined in Bombay court

The cross-examination of Syedna Taher Fakhruddin Saheb in connection with the ongoing Dawoodi Bohra succession case was held in Bombay High Court on Tuesday.

The cross-examination of the next witness, Professor Wilferd Madelung of the University of Oxford, will be held from March 11 to 15, the court said.

The Bombay High Court is hearing a dispute over the succession to the spiritual leader of the Dawoodi Bohras, a Shia group which has its headquarters in Mumbai.

The dispute arose when Qutbuddin, the half-brother of Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin, the 52nd Dai or head of the sect, claimed the title after the latter's death in January 2014.

He filed a suit in the high court challenging the appointment of the latter's son Mufaddal Saiffudin as the next leader. Qutbuddin told the court that his brother had appointed him as his successor five decades ago.

Justice Gautam Patel of the Bombay High Court expedited the suit in June 2014. Syedna Qutbuddin Saheb first appeared for cross-examination on 27 April 2015 and was cross-examined for a total of 8 days over the next few months. On 30 March 2016, Syedna Qutbuddin Saheb, who faced a total of 544 questions during cross-examination, passed away.

In June 2016, his successor Syedna Taher Fakhruddin Saheb filed a Chamber Summons to be substituted as Plaintiff. In March 2017, Justice Patel passed an order to this effect.

Starting in December 2017, Syedna Fakhruddin Saheb appeared for examination-in-chief by his counsel Anand Desai and then for cross-examination by Shehzada Mufaddal Saifuddin's Senior Counsel Iqbal Chagla. O

Over a span of 25 days, Syedna Taher Fakhruddin Saheb was asked a total of 1429 questions.