Anastasia Oberoi, who is the daughter of the late veteran hotelier PRS Oberoi, has been caught in a legal war with some of her own family members over the inheritance of her father’s property and the implementation of his will.
The Delhi High Court has intervened to stop EIH Limited and its holding companies from selling shares in the middle of these family squabbles.
It is to be noted that Anastasia has filed a case against her brother Vikramjit Oberoi, sister Natasha Oberoi, and cousin brother Arjun Oberoi, along with her mother Mirjana Jojic Oberoi. They claim that they, in collusion with the executors appointed by their late father, are seeking to frustrate the implementation of his will. The case is based on the management of the family’s large stake in EIH Limited, which operates Oberoi and Trident hotel brands.
On September 12, 2024, Delhi High Court, after listening to the arguments in detail, passed an interim order in favour of Anastasia Oberoi and other plaintiffs for the protection of the subject of the lawsuit. Regarding the shares, the court passed an injunction concerning PRS Oberoi and the family home, ensuring Anastasia and her mother’s ownership of the property.
The legal authenticity of the will of PRS Oberoi has been challenged by Vikramjit and Arjun. They say that the will does not portray the true feelings and desires of M.S. Oberoi, father of P. R. S. Oberoi. But the court observed that there is enough material produced by the plaintiffs to show that there is prima facie reliability of the will and the codicil.
Anastasia, through the lawsuit, intends to seek an order of the court to affirm her right to own, hold, and exercise rights in shares of Oberoi Hotels, Oberoi Properties, and Aravali Polymers LLP as provided under her father’s will. The will also provided immovable property of the family, Aashiana Villa, Delhi, to a trust where Anastasia is the sole member of the trust along with her mother and another member.
During the course of the legal proceedings, the Delhi High Court has been very assertive in safeguarding the cause of justice and the plaintiffs. It passed an order restraining the defendants from transferring or transmitting any shares belonging to the deceased PRS Oberoi. The court has also restrained the executors from exercising their voting rights, except for compliance with the legal requirements and the filing of statutory returns.
The struggle of Anastasia Oberoi to remain loyal to her father’s will and get her fair share of the family’s inheritance has drawn the interest of the business world. All the attention will be on the Delhi High Court in the future to observe how it is going to solve this intricate family dispute and define the further development of the Oberoi Group.
