HDFC Bank MD Sashidhar Jagdishan Moves Supreme Court To Quash “Frivolous” FIR In Lilavati Hospital Dispute; Hearing On July 4
HDFC Bank MD Sashidhar Jagdishan Moves Supreme Court To Quash “Frivolous” FIR In Lilavati Hospital Dispute; Hearing On July 4;
HDFC Bank’s Managing Director and CEO Sashidhar Jagdishan has approached the Supreme Court seeking urgent relief against an FIR lodged against him by the Lilavati Kirtilal Mehta Medical Trust, alleging cheating and criminal breach of trust.
Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Jagdishan, mentioned the plea before the Bench of Justice MM Sundresh and Justice K Vinod Chandran on Thursday, seeking urgent listing in light of repeated adjournments before the Bombay High Court.
Rohatgi submitted that three different benches of the Bombay High Court had recused from hearing the matter, causing undue delays. “A frivolous FIR has been lodged against the MD and the Bank, by trustees of the Lilavati Hospital, who are already litigating against another group of trustees. The Bank has to recover money from them. To twist the Bank’s arm, they have lodged an FIR through a Magistrate against the MD,” Rohatgi argued.
He further told the Court that the next date before the High Court is tentatively listed for July 14, and in the meantime, the Bank’s operations are suffering.
Considering the submissions, the Court agreed to list the matter for hearing on July 4.
The FIR, filed at Mumbai’s Bandra Police Station, stems from an application by the Lilavati Kirtilal Mehta Medical Trust, which manages the renowned Lilavati Hospital. The Trust alleged that Jagdishan accepted a bribe of Rs. 2.05 crore for providing financial advice that allegedly helped the Chetan Mehta Group retain undue control over the hospital’s governance.
The Trust accused Jagdishan of abusing his position as the head of a leading private bank to interfere in the internal affairs of a charitable trust. Following an application by the Trust, the Bandra Magistrate ordered registration of the FIR under Section 175(3) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS).
Jagdishan has been booked under serious charges including cheating, criminal breach of trust, and criminal breach of trust by a public servant.
The matter forms part of a larger dispute among the trustees of Lilavati Hospital, who have been engaged in long-standing litigation over the Trust’s management and finances. The HDFC Bank’s involvement allegedly arose from its financial dealings with one faction of the trustees.
Jagdishan’s plea before the Supreme Court seeks quashing of the FIR, contending that the criminal proceedings are an abuse of process aimed at pressuring the Bank in its recovery proceedings.