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Mint
20 hours ago
- Business
- Mint
Delhi's Saket court summons Samir Kumar Modi in Godfrey Phillips defamation case
The Saket sessions court in Delhi on Thursday ordered summons to cigarette maker Godfrey Phillips India's (GPI) former director Samir Kumar Modi in a defamation case filed by two of the company's seven independent directors. Additional sessions judge Sheetal Chaudhary Pradhan set aside the trial court's 19 May order dismissing the complaint and directed the lower court to proceed with summoning Modi. 'Considering the aforesaid appreciation of the facts and circumstances of this case and also the case laws, the impugned order dated 19.05.2025 passed by the learned trial court stands set aside. The present revision petition stands allowed… the trial court is directed to summon the accused/respondent and proceed further as per law," the court said in its order, a copy of which was seen by Mint. Boardroom clash The dispute stems from a boardroom clash at GPI in May 2024, during which Modi alleged he was assaulted. Independent directors Atul Kumar Gupta and Nirmala Bagri accuse him of defaming them by publicly claiming they had consented to the alleged assault. The other independent directors are Lalit Bhasin, Ajay Vohra, Avtar Singh Monga, Sumant Bharadwaj, and Subramanian Lakshminarayanan. Also Read: Supreme Court stays ₹273.5 crore GST notice against Patanjali Ayurved Modi, the youngest of three children of the late business tycoon K.K. Modi—and brother to former IPL chief Lalit Modi and sister Charu Modi—was removed from the board on 7 August 2024. GPI is a key player in India's tobacco market and partners with Marlboro-maker Philip Morris. Lalit Samir have differed with mother Bina Modi, who heads the board of Godfrey Phillips. Samir was removed from the board of the company last year while Bina Modi was re-elected as the chairman and managing director of the company. Samir had accused the board members of colluding to arrange an assault on him as he was trying to attend a key board meeting in May last year. Defamation case According to the complaint, the events unfolded on 30 May 2024 when an audit committee meeting was underway ahead of a scheduled board meeting. Modi, then an executive director but not a member of the committee, allegedly got into a heated argument with a security officer outside the meeting room. To avoid disruption, senior board members invited him in, where he allegedly shouted angrily and banged folders on the table. Despite the incident, the meeting concluded, and Modi later participated in the board meeting without signs of injury. Later On 1 June 2024, The Economic Times published an interview in which Modi alleged that the complainants and other board members orchestrated a 'planned attack" to stop him from attending the meeting. Also Read: A Wikipedia note, a customs case, and Paytm's big win The directors deny the charge, citing CCTV footage showing Modi as the aggressor, and claim the remarks were false, scandalous, and intended to damage their reputations. They say that Smir Modi's statements created a false impression that they condoned or arranged an assault, causing them social, professional, and reputational harm prompting them to approach the court. The defamation complaint under Sections 499 and 500 of the Indian Penal Code was filed in November 2024. The trial court dismissed it in May 2025, prompting the directors to seek revision before the sessions court. Sessions Court's Findings The sessions court noted that the Economic Times interview contained allegations harmful to the complainants, who were easily identifiable as public figures and board members of a well-known company. The complainants had submitted the article with a Section 65B certificate and named the reporter as a witness. The court further observed that defamation can be directed at identifiable groups, such as a company's board members. It ruled that the trial court had erred by assuming the existence of other litigation was sufficient grounds for dismissal and by denying the complainants the opportunity to present their witnesses. Also Read: States race to woo EV makers with land sops and tax breaks as Centre eases off Section 65B allows electronic records—such as emails, scanned copies, or web pages—to be accepted as evidence in court, provided they come with a certificate confirming their authenticity and how they were produced.
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Business Standard
a day ago
- Business
- Business Standard
Delhi court summons Samir Modi in defamation case by GPI directors
A Sessions Court in Delhi on Thursday summoned Samir Modi in defamation proceedings filed against him by independent directors of Godfrey Phillips India (GPI), Nirmala Bagri and Atul Kumar Gupta. The court held that there was, prima facie, 'sufficient evidence' to summon Samir Modi, and directed the trial court to proceed as per law in the defamation case. Bagri and Gupta had initiated defamation proceedings against Samir Modi, alleging that his statements to the media had damaged their reputations. The trial court had rejected the defamation plea on 19 May, after which the directors filed a revision petition in the Sessions Court. On Thursday, the Sessions Court set aside the trial court's order and summoned Samir Modi. In May 2024, Samir Modi had alleged that his mother, Bina Modi, and other directors of GPI had 'orchestrated an attack' on him during a board meeting. He had also alleged that he was assaulted by the personal security officer (PSO) of his mother, who is the chairperson and managing director of the company. Samir Modi was removed from GPI's board at a meeting on 7 August last year after fellow directors did not support his reappointment. In his place, the company appointed Charu Modi, daughter of Bina Modi and sister to Samir and Lalit Modi. The younger son of KK Modi and Bina Modi lodged a first information report (FIR) with Delhi Police on 27 June 2024, accusing his mother, her PSO, and GPI directors of causing him 'grievous hurt'. The dispute comes against the backdrop of a contentious succession battle over an estimated Rs 11,000-crore inheritance following the death of family patriarch KK Modi in 2019. Samir Modi, one of KK Modi's three children and brother of former Indian Premier League (IPL) chief Lalit Modi, has challenged his mother's management of the family's affairs in the Supreme Court.
Economic Times
22-04-2025
- Economic Times
Godfrey Phillips: Bina Modi, Lalit Bhasin not charged in Samir Modi assault case
Samir Modi Synopsis Bina Modi, chairperson of Godfrey Phillips India, and former director Lalit Bhasin, have not been charged in the alleged assault case of Samir Modi at a board meeting. Delhi Police cited a lack of evidence, only charging Bina Modi's personal security officer, Surendra Prasad. Samir Modi's lawyer claims sufficient evidence exists against Bina Modi, planning to file a protest petition. Godfrey Phillips India's chairperson Bina Modi and former director Lalit Bhasin have not been charged in a case accusing them of conspiracy to assault the company's former director Samir Modi at a board meeting last year, according to people familiar with the matter. ADVERTISEMENT They remain suspects in the case but were not charged due to lack of evidence, Delhi Police officials said on condition of anonymity. The police have only charge-sheeted Bina Modi's personal security officer (PSO), Surendra Prasad, who was a co-accused in the matter, they said. Samir Modi, a former Godfrey Phillips director and current promoter, is Bina Modi's son. His lawyer, Simran Singh, claimed Bina Modi had not been exonerated. However, the police officials cited earlier said the investigation had been completed.'The police has not exonerated Bina Modi and therefore places her in column 12 of the charge sheet,' said Singh. 'There is sufficient evidence on record against Mrs Bina Modi for intentionally aiding and abetting her PSO in wrongful restrain and also common intention with him to not only restrain Samir Modi from entering the meeting room but also voluntarily causing assault and grievous hurt to Samir Modi in that process. We will file a protest petition and will request the court to take cognizance against Mrs Bina Modi also, for offences under sections 341/325/34 of the IPC.'The final charge sheet was prepared by Delhi Police after an investigation that lasted for almost a year. A first information report was filed at Delhi's Sarita Vihar police station last year by Samir Modi alleging he was assaulted by Bina Modi's personal security officer at Godfrey Phillips India's board meeting on May 31, 2024. ADVERTISEMENT Samir Modi, who was formerly an executive director with Godfrey Phillips India, was sacked from the company's board on August 7. He has been locked in a family dispute where he has accused his mother of not making good on the distribution of the family inheritance the terms of which were laid out in a trust deed by the family patriarch, the late KK Modi. (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel) (Catch all the Business News, Breaking News, Budget 2025 Events and Latest News Updates on The Economic Times.) Subscribe to The Economic Times Prime and read the ET ePaper online. NEXT STORY
Time of India
22-04-2025
- Time of India
Godfrey Phillips: Bina Modi, Lalit Bhasin not charged in Samir Modi assault case
Godfrey Phillips India 's chairperson Bina Modi and former director Lalit Bhasin have not been charged in a case accusing them of conspiracy to assault the company's former director Samir Modi at a board meeting last year, according to people familiar with the matter. They remain suspects in the case but were not charged due to lack of evidence, Delhi Police officials said on condition of anonymity. The police have only charge-sheeted Bina Modi's personal security officer (PSO), Surendra Prasad, who was a co-accused in the matter, they said. 5 5 Next Stay Playback speed 1x Normal Back 0.25x 0.5x 1x Normal 1.5x 2x 5 5 / Skip Ads by Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like She lives in the Loneliest house in the World - Don't judge until you see the inside! Tips and Tricks Undo Samir Modi, a former Godfrey Phillips director and current promoter, is Bina Modi's son. His lawyer, Simran Singh , claimed Bina Modi had not been exonerated. However, the police officials cited earlier said the investigation had been completed. 'The police has not exonerated Bina Modi and therefore places her in column 12 of the charge sheet,' said Singh. 'There is sufficient evidence on record against Mrs Bina Modi for intentionally aiding and abetting her PSO in wrongful restrain and also common intention with him to not only restrain Samir Modi from entering the meeting room but also voluntarily causing assault and grievous hurt to Samir Modi in that process. We will file a protest petition and will request the court to take cognizance against Mrs Bina Modi also, for offences under sections 341/325/34 of the IPC.' Live Events The final charge sheet was prepared by Delhi Police after an investigation that lasted for almost a year. A first information report was filed at Delhi's Sarita Vihar police station last year by Samir Modi alleging he was assaulted by Bina Modi's personal security officer at Godfrey Phillips India's board meeting on May 31, 2024. Samir Modi, who was formerly an executive director with Godfrey Phillips India, was sacked from the company's board on August 7. He has been locked in a family dispute where he has accused his mother of not making good on the distribution of the family inheritance the terms of which were laid out in a trust deed by the family patriarch, the late KK Modi .
