Daiichi case: 6 days to deadline, RSSB chief Dhillon & family back off from court appearance; cite 'surgeries', 'satsang' as reasons

Six days before their scheduled hearing in the Delhi High Court in the Daiichi Sankyo case, the Gurinder Singh Dhillon family has backed off from personal appearance in court citing reasons ranging from "surgeries" abroad to "satsang commitments". The court had asked RSSB chief Gurinder Singh Dhillon and his family members, former Religare promoters Shivinder Singh and Malvinder Singh, former Religare chief Sunil Godhwani and his brother Sanjay Godhwani to be present at the court hearing on November 14. They were also asked to come up with all the required documents relating to the dealings.

While Gurinder Singh Dhillon said he had "satsang commitments" outside Delhi on the hearing day, his wife Shabnam Dhillon cited a scheduled gastric surgery at a UK hospital on November 20, saying she needed to travel to the country on November 12. Indicating his inability to be present in court, Gurinder Singh also said he's "senior citizen, diabetic and cancer patient". Dhillon's son Gurkeerat said he had to accompany his mother to the UK for the treatment. His elder son Gurpreet said he's in Singapore. Dhillon's daughter-in-law Nayan Tara Dhillon cited her four-year-old son's hip implant treatment for her inability to be present in the court.

Interestingly, RSSB's Satsang schedule on its website shows no Satsang has been planned on November 14. The Rudrapur Satsang, which begins on November 12, ends on November 13. The question now is whether there are already any lookout notices against the Dhillon family and other 55 garnishees. And whether the court would prevent any of them from travelling abroad -- fearing escape.

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Also read: SC take note! Singh brothers can pay off $500 million to Daiichi, provided the money is recovered

Daiichi had earlier enforced an arbitration order in Singapore that ordered the brothers to pay Daiichi $500 million towards alleged non-disclosure of crucial information during the sale of Ranbaxy Laboratories to Daiichi in 2008. Expanding the scope of people from whom the money could be recovered, the court in June had named 56 entities, including Dhillon, his wife Shabnam Dhillon and other family members, and Godhwanis, and ordered them to pay up Rs 6,373 crore worth of dues to Singh brothers so that they could honour the $500 million order to pay Daiichi.

On March 12, BusinessToday.In reported that Singh brothers could only pay the $500 million order against them to compensate Daiichi, provided the money owed to them by RSSB chief Gurinder Singh Dhillon and his family was recovered. In his submission, Malvinder had maintained that he could pay Daiichi provided he recovered the money owed to him.

Also read: Recover money from RSSB chief Dhillon & family to pay Singh brothers' dues to Daiichi: Delhi HC

Besides the Dhillon family, the Delhi HC had also issued 'garnishee orders' -- an order that's issued against a third party to recover money to settle a debt or dues -- against 55 entities, including  Dhillon and RSSB associates' companies, including Prius Real Estate, Addon Realty, Payne Realtors SGGD Projects, Luminous Holding.

BusinessToday.In had also reported the flow of money that went from Singh brothers to entities owned and controlled by Gurinder Singh Dhillon, his family and RSSB associates. RoC filings and terms sheets had revealed that between 2011 and 2014, Rs 1,107.5 crore from the Rs 9,576 crore sale proceeds of Ranbaxy to Daiichi Sankyo was paid through various RHC group firms. Thereafter, this money was transferred to Prius Real Estate Private Limited controlled by Dhillon family associates and RSSB functionaries through optionally convertible debentures (OCD).

Also read: RSSB chief Dhillon beneficiary behind corporate veil in Religare fund diversion: Filmmaker Sheetal Talwar tells Sebi

Edited by Manoj Sharma