Supreme Court Declines To Hear HDFC Bank CEO’s Plea Against Lilavati Trust FIR, Notes Matter Pending Before Bombay High Court
The Supreme Courtroom on Friday (July 4) refused to entertain the petition filed by Sashidhar Jagdishan, CEO of HDFC Financial institution, for quashing of the FIR registered on the behest of Lilavati Kirtilal Mehta Medical Belief.
A bench of Justices PS Narasimha and R Mahadevan noticed that it was improper on the a part of the Supreme Courtroom to intervene when Jagdishan’s petition is listed earlier than the Bombay Excessive Courtroom on July 14. The HDFC CEO approached the Supreme Courtroom, saying that three Bombay Excessive Courtroom judges recused from listening to the matter, inflicting a delay within the listening to.
Senior Advocate Dr Abhishek Manu Singhvi, for the Lilavati Belief, objected to the petitioner approaching the Supreme Courtroom, saying that the matter is listed earlier than the Excessive Courtroom on July 14 with the consent of the petitioner himself.
Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi, for the petitioner, pressed for interim safety at the least until July 14. He argued that the FIR was frivolous and that the Financial institution has been roped into a non-public dispute between the trustees. “Their solely intention is to get the MD summoned to the police station and create havoc for the financial institution. For the three weeks, I have never obtained a listening to within the Excessive Courtroom. The financial institution’s fame is struggling day by day. I’ve nothing to do with the inter-se dispute between the Lilavati trustees. I need interim safety until July 14. I do not even know if will probably be heard on 14th too,” Rohatgi argued.
The bench nonetheless expressed disinclination, asking how the Supreme Courtroom can intrude when the matter is listed earlier than the Excessive Courtroom on July 14. The bench mentioned that the petitioner is at liberty to lift all contentions earlier than the Excessive Courtroom.
Justice Narasimha nonetheless expressed sympathy for the petitioner, whose petition’s listening to obtained delayed as a result of recusal of judges. On the identical time, the decide stood agency that the Supreme Courtroom can’t intrude on deserves at this juncture.
“We sympathise that the quash proceedings have been initiated method again on June 12, and since then the bench after the bench has recused. We perceive that. It’s unlucky. However now that it’s listed…”Justice Narasimha mentioned.
Rohatgi nonetheless expressed apprehension that there isn’t any assurance that the matter could be heard on July 14 itself. Following this, the bench added an commentary in its order to the impact that “we hope and belief that the matter could be taken up on the 14th of July.”
Within the order, the bench noticed as follows :
“We’re knowledgeable that the matter is listed for listening to on the 14th of July. Due to this fact, there isn’t any event for us to entertain this particular depart petition. We have now famous that the case was initially listed for listening to on 18.06.25, 20.06.25, 25.06.25 and likewise 26.06.25. We hope and belief that the matter will probably be taken up on the designated date, that’s on 14th of July 2025.”
Justice Narasimha mentioned that the commentary within the bench will tackle the petitioner’s apprehension about additional delay within the listening to within the Excessive Courtroom.
In its FIR, Lilavati Belief accused Jagdishan of accepting a bribe of Rs 2.05 crore from erstwhile Trustee Chetan Mehta, for giving him monetary recommendation and serving to him to retain management over the Belief’s governance. It additional alleged that Jagdishan interfered in its inside affairs by misusing his place as the pinnacle of HDFC Financial institution.
Initially, Jagdishan’s plea was listed for listening to earlier than a Excessive Courtroom division bench of Justices Ajay Gadkari and Rajesh Patil on June 18. Nevertheless, Justice Patil cited some private problem and recused from listening to the matter.
Subsequently, Jagdishan’s authorized crew led by senior counsel Amit Desai talked about his plea earlier than a bench of Justices Sarang Kotwal and Shyam Chandak. Nevertheless, Justice Kotwal recused.
Later, the matter was listed earlier than a Division Bench of Justices Mahesh Sonak and Jitendra Jain. Justice Jain, who disclosed that he has shares within the HDFC financial institution, recused after an objection was raised to him listening to.
As per an earlier administrative order of the Excessive Courtroom, circumstances associated to the Lilavati Belief are to not be listed earlier than six different judges of the Bombay Excessive Courtroom.
Yesterday, when the matter was mentioned for pressing itemizing earlier than a Supreme Courtroom bench led by Justice MM Sundresh, it was argued {that a} frivolous FIR had been lodged in opposition to the Financial institution and its MD, by trustees of the Lilavati hospital, who’re litigating in opposition to the opposite group of trustees. The financial institution has to get better cash from them. To be able to twist the arm, they’ve lodged an FIR by the Justice of the Peace in opposition to the MD. The Financial institution and its officers went to the Bombay Excessive Courtroom, however three benches of the High Court recused from listening to. The following tentative date earlier than the Courtroom is July 14 and the financial institution is struggling every day.
Case Title: SASHIDHAR JAGDISHAN Versus STATE OF MAHARASHTRA AND ORS., SLP(Crl) No. 9602/2025
