Kalyani family feud case: Bombay High Court grants relief to siblings

In a new development concerning the Kalyani family dispute, the Bombay High Court has granted siblings Sameer Hiremath and Pallavi Swadi, the children of industrialist Baba Kalyani and Gaurishankar Kalyani’s sister Sugandha Hiremath, the right to amend their suit, allowing them to seek a restraint on the voting rights associated with shares acquired from the family’s core assets.

The companies explicitly mentioned in the siblings’ suit include Bharat Forge Ltd, Kalyani Steels Ltd, and Kalyani Consultants Private Ltd.

Currently, the voting rights of all the shares acquired from family nucleus, as claimed by siblings is with the promoters, which includes Kalyani Group chairman Baba Kalyani. 

The ruling, delivered by Justice N.J. Jamadar on Monday (December 15, 2025), overturns a prior decision by a Pune court and marks a procedural victory for Hiremath (50) and Swadi (48) in their legal battle against their industrialist maternal uncles, Baba Kalyani, and his younger brother, Gaurishankar Kalyani.

When asked to respond, a Kalyani Group spokesperson said, “The order is purely procedural and reflects settled law permitting a party to seek relief. It grants no substantive relief to the Hiremaths in relation to voting rights or property, as is being suggested.”

“All such issues will be decided by the Court after hearing both sides. Portraying this routine procedural order as a substantive win is misleading and misrepresents the true scope of the Court’s directions,” the spokesperson added. 

The siblings assert their lineage as great-grandchildren of Annappa N. Kalyani (ANK), the founder of the industrial conglomerate. 

Their core contention, central to a partition suit originally filed in Pune in 2024, is that the Kalyani Group’s extensive assets—including prominent listed companies—originated from and rightfully belong to a Hindu Undivided Family (HUF), rather than being solely owned by individual family members.

According to the Hiremaths, ANK initiated various businesses and accumulated assets under the HUF umbrella.

 Following his demise in 1954, his son, Dr. Neelkanth Annappa Kalyani (NAK), assumed leadership of the Joint Family. With NAK’s health deteriorating in 2011, Baba Kalyani reportedly became the Karta (head) of the HUF. 

The siblings allege that their uncle intends to “take over all the assets of the Kalyani Family HUF and deprive the Plaintiffs of their respective shares as coparceners.”

While the Pune court had initially allowed the siblings to incorporate a list of newly discovered assets into their suit, it had notably refused their plea to amend the application to include a restraint on voting rights for shares or the appointment of an administrator over these holdings. 

This rejection prompted their appeal to the Bombay High Court. They were represented by RJD & Partners. 

Justice Jamadar’s order referenced a crucial Supreme Court judgment, emphasizing the “real controversy test” for amendments. 

The High Court observed that a court’s primary duty is to determine if an amendment is indeed necessary to resolve the true dispute between parties. 

By applying this principle, the High Court concluded that the siblings should be permitted to pursue their claims regarding voting rights and administrative oversight.

This High Court directive mandates that the siblings’ suit be formally amended within three weeks. 

Following this, the defendants have been granted 30 days to file their written statement, setting the stage for the next phase of this high-stakes family legal battle that could reshape the control and ownership structure of a significant industrial empire.