Godfrey Phillips family dispute: Police say Samir Modi hasn’t joined the probe despite 3 notices

The current case in question involves allegations levelled by Samir Modi that he was stopped and assaulted on May 30 while he tried to enter the board meeting of Godfrey Phillips,

The Delhi Police has told the Saket District Court that Samir Modi, former Director of Godfrey Phillips, has not joined the investigation despite the police sending three requests for cooperation, said people with direct knowledge of the matter. The police made these submissions  on Wednesday  when the court took up the criminal case filed in the ongoing family dispute between promoter Samir Modi and his mother Bina Modi, who is also the Chairperson of Godfrey Phillips.

The development assumes significance as Samir Modi was ousted from the Godfrey Phillips board last month. The case in question involves allegations levelled by Samir Modi that he was assaulted on May 30 when he tried to enter the company's board meeting.

According to the status report filed by officials from Sarita Vihar police station, Samir Modi is claiming that he was invited to join the board meeting, while Godfrey Phillips is maintaining that he was not an invitee to the audit meeting.

“In this regard, three notices were served on Mr Samir Modi to appear at the police station — because some clarification is required from him — and join the investigation,  but he has not done so yet,” said the Investigating Officer of Sarita Vihar police station in the status report dated August 21.

Surendra Prasad, who is the Personal  Security Officer (PSO) of Bina Modi, had filed a complaint with the police alleging that Samir Modi had assaulted him when the PSO tried to stop him from entering the board meeting. However, Samir Modi has made counter allegations that he was assaulted by Prasad.  The police are probing the case based on CCTV footage to figure out the facts.

At the heart of the dispute is a succession battle in the $2.8 billion KK Modi Group. The family patriarch, KK Modi, passed away in 2019, post which his two sons,  Lalit and Samir, have filed cases against their mother Bina Modi demanding dissolution of the family trust that has been housing all the corporate assets of the company since 2014. Bina Modi currently heads the trust. Charu Modi , who is the sister of Lalit was appointed on the board of the company last month,