Bal Thackeray’s will: Sanjay Raut likely to depose before HC today

The Bombay high court is likely to cross examine Sanjay Raut, Shiv Sena MP and the executive editor of the party’s mouthpiece Saamana, on Monday in the ongoing case of validation of the will of late Sena chief Bal Thackeray.

Raut was initially scheduled to appear before the court on October 10, but he had failed to do so and instead sent a message through a party member stating that he was out of town.

At the time, Justice Gautam Patel, who is presiding over the matter, had cautioned Raut saying that if he doesn’t willingly come to court, HC will be forced to employ its own means to ensure his presence on the next date.

On August 26, Justice Patel had issued the summons asking the editor or the executive editor of Saamana to appear before court for cross examination as a witness for Bal Thackeray’s elder son Jaidev.

While Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray is the current editor of Saamana, Sena leader Sanjay Raut is the paper’s executive editor. HC had also summoned another reporter from Sammana, Rajesh Waradkar.

Waradkar appeared in court on Monday and answered some questions over having clicked some photographs of Bal Thackeray at a private event in December 2011.

Jaidev and his younger brother Uddhav are embroiled in litigation in HC over the validity of Bal Thackeray’s will. Bal Thackeray signed the will in December 2011 bequeathing most of the family property and assets to Uddhav and his family and Jaidev has challenged the same saying that his father was of “unsound mind” at the time.

The court is currently conducting cross examination of the witnesses on Jaidev’s side. Jaidev’s own cross examination was completed earlier this month. Jaidev’s counsel Seema Sarnaik has submitted a list of 34 witnesses that Jaidev wishes to be examined by court.

After Raut, the next person on the witness list is Jaidev’s third and current wife Anuradha.

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