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Amrohi appeals against court order on disclosing bank details

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Press Trust of India Mumbai
Film maker Kamal Amrohi's son, Shandar Amrohi's widow Shaheeda, has appealed against an order passed by a single judge of the Bombay High Court directing her and Shandar's legal heirs to disclose details about the bank accounts held by them.

In December 2013, Justice S J Kathawalla had directed Shaheeda and her children to file affidavits disclosing details about their bank accounts held by them and those in the name of Shandar.

The affidavit was sought in response to a suit filed by actress Preity Zinta seeking recovery of the Rs 2 crore she had supposedly lent to Shandar Amrohi to fight his legal battles and for other purposes.
 

Shaheeda and her children today filed a petition before a division bench challenging the interim order of Justice Kathawalla.

According to Shaheeda, such an interim order directing the respondents to disclose bank account details cannot be passed in a recovery suit.

A division bench of Justices S J Vazifdar and B P Colabawalla, however, asked Shaheeda to file the affidavit as directed by the single judge by January 21.

"File the affidavit and submit it to us (division bench). We will see on Tuesday (Jan 21) if the details needs to be disclosed," the court said.

Zinta filed a suit in the high court in November 2013 seeking to recover a principal amount of Rs 2 crore and interest of Rs 80 lakh - calculated at an annual rate of 18 per cent from the day after Shandar passed away on August 22, 2011.

Zinta's suit said that she did not give the money to Shandar by way of charity, but had done so on the assurance it would be returned once he grew financially stable.

"The plaintiff (Zinta) states that these were debts of Shandar discharged by the plaintiff and not an act intended to be done gratuitously, but on assurance that these amounts would be repaid by Amrohi," the suit said.

According to the suit, Shandar was constantly at odds with his brother Tajdaar, sister Rukhsar and their families over property. Amrohi, the suit claimed, then approached Zinta, seeking help to recover his property in shares.

It claimed that a few months after Amrohi's death, Zinta orally requested the family to pay her dues, but no one paid any heed.

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First Published: Jan 18 2014 | 6:56 PM IST

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