SC dismisses HDFC Bank CEO's plea challenging FIR by Lilavati Trust

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The Supreme Court on Friday refused to entertain a plea by HDFC Bank CEO and MD Sashidhar Jagdishan challenging an FIR of cheating and fraud registered against him on a complaint by the Lilavati Kirtilal Mehta Medical Trust, which runs the prominent Lilavati Hospital in Mumbai.

A bench of Justices P S Narasimha and R Mahadevan noted that the matter was already listed for hearing on July 14 before the Bombay High Court.

"We are not inclined to entertain the matter. We will not apply our mind to the merits. If matter is not heard on 14th, you come back.

"We hope and trust that high court will take the matter up on the designated date," the bench said.

Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Jagdishan, submitted that the bank has been roped in a private dispute.

"The idea is to summon the MD to police station. No proceedings should be taken against the MD," he said. 

Rohatgi said they had moved the Bombay High Court but three benches of the high court have so far recused themselves from hearing the matter.

According to the complaint filed by the Trust, Jagdishan allegedly accepted a bribe of Rs 2.05 crore in exchange for providing financial advice to help the Chetan Mehta Group retain illegal and undue control over the Trust's governance.

The Trust has accused Jagdishan of misusing his position as the head of a leading private bank to interfere in the internal affairs of a charitable organisation. 

Jagdishan's plea seeking quashing of the first information report (FIR) was first listed in the high court in June.

The FIR against Jagdishan was registered at the Bandra police station following an order by a Bandra magistrate court under section 175 (3) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), based on an application moved by the Trust.

He was booked under alleged charges of cheating and criminal breach of trust by a public servant.

In a public statement issued earlier this month, the Trust alleged that the Rs 2.05 crore payment was part of a larger conspiracy to "loot" the Trust and manipulate its decision-making processes in favour of the Chetan Mehta Group.

The Trust has also filed a petition before the high court seeking a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the matter.