Thackeray property row: HC summons Uddhav or Raut as a witness

The Bombay High Court today issued summons, directing Shiv Sena president and editor of party mouthpiece 'Saamana' Uddhav Thackeray or its executive editor Sanjay Raut, to appear as a witness in a suit filed by Jaidev Thackeray, the estranged son of the late Sena supremo Bal Thackeray.
Jaidev has challenged his father's will of December 13, 2011, in which Bal Thackeray bequeathed a substantial part of his property to his son Uddhav, while not giving anything to the other son Jaidev.
He filed the suit after Bal Thackeray's death in November 2012, alleging that his father was not of sound mind when he signed the will.

So far, the high court has recorded the statements of Jaidev, Bal Thackeray's personal physician Dr Jalil Parkar and Sena leader Anil Parab.
Jaidev's lawyer Seema Sarnaik sought summons be issued to the editor and a reporter of Saamana, and also to editors and reporters of other newspapers for examination as witnesses, as these papers had published articles regarding the relations between Jaidev and his father.
Justice Gautam Patel issued summons, asking either the editor or the executive editor of Saamana and the reporter of that paper who had written an article on the issue to appear before the court.

The next date of hearing is October 10.