Vijaypat Singhania, the former chairman of the Raymond Group, has spoken up on the acrimonious separation of his son Gautam Singhania and wife Nawaz Modi Singhania, details of which have played out in the media in recent days. “I will give my support to my daughter-in-law, not to my son,” the senior Singhania told Business Today.
Vijaypat Singhania, 85, has accused his son of unceremoniously kicking him out of the company offices and the family property JK House in south Mumbai several years ago.
Following Gautam Singhania’s announcement of his separation earlier this month, Nawaz Modi came forward with disturbing allegations of assault against the billionaire industrialist. Speaking to Economic Times, she detailed a harrowing incident in September, claiming that Singhania physically assaulted her and their daughter in a fit of rage. The industrialist has responded, vowing legal action to protect his family's interests.
On reports of Nawaz Modi demanding 75 per cent of Gautam Singhania’s net worth as settlement, Vijaypat Sighania said his son is never going to give in.
“Under the Hindu Marriage Act, as I know, I'm not a lawyer, 50 per cent of the husband's holding automatically goes to the wife in a separation. And I would have said, she may not need to fight for it. A very simple lawyer can get her that under the Hindu Marriage Act,” Singhania Senior told Business Today.
“Why is she fighting for 75 per cent? Gautam is never going to give in because his motto is buy everybody and buy everything. And buy buy buy. That's what he did with me.”
He said Nawaz Modi, 53, may not be able to afford hiring top lawyers such as Harish Salve.
“By fighting like this, I don't think she'll get much. Unless she has, maybe, a person like Harish Salve, Mukul Rohatgi or Kapil Sibal. There are some big shots in the field,” he added.
“What I don't know is whether being a Parsi – is she covered by the Hindu Marriage Act?”
Nawaz Modi’s father is well-known lawyer Nadar Modi. Though she too studied law, her interest lay in fitness and lifestyle.
Singhania reiterated that while he supports his daughter-in-law and that she is welcome in his house any time, his wife is in touch with Gautam Singhania.
Vijaypat Singhania, who bitterly regrets his decision of gifting control of the Raymond Group to his son, said Gautam would be happy to see him on the road.
“I gave him everything. By mistake I was left with some money on which I'm surviving today. Otherwise I would have been on the road. He'd be happy to see me on the road. I'm sure of that. If he can throw his wife out like this, throw his father out like this, I don't know what he is,” he said.
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