HC fixes Dec 5 as next date for Thackeray's suit hearing

The Bombay High Court today fixed the hearing on December 5 in a suit filed by Jaidev Thackeray, son of late Shiv Sena patriarch Bal Thackeray, over his father's Will.
On December 5, Sanjay Raut, MP and the editor of Shiv Sena mouthpiece 'Saamana', will be examined by the lawyers of Jaidev Thackeray.
Justice Gautam Patel, who is hearing the matter, today deferred the hearing to December 5 when Raut would be examined.
On October 10, Raut had not appeared as witness before the court and the matter was deferred till today to enable the Court fix a date for next hearing.

The court had also warned that if Raut remained absent at the next hearing, the court might consider issuing a warrant against him.
Jaidev has challenged Bal Thackeray's last Will, made on December 13, 2011, which did not give him anything but bequeathed a substantial share of the property to Jaidev's brother and the incumbent Sena president Uddhav Thackeray.

Jaidev, whose relations with Bal Thackeray were strained, alleged that his father was of unsound mind and under Uddhav's influence when he made the will.
Bal Thackeray passed away in November 2012.
The High Court had earlier asked the two parties to try and settle the dispute amicably, but they failed to reach a compromise.

A witness had told the court earlier that Thackeray had made several wills since 1997. In all those wills, the beneficiaries remained the same but the assets given to each beneficiary kept changing.