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Informist, Wednesday, Mar. 18, 2026

 

NEW DELHI – The Delhi High Court Wednesday stayed a trial court proceeding against Godfrey Phillips India Ltd.'s Chairperson and Managing Director Bina Modi and others in a case related to alleged assault on former executive director Samir K. Modi. The high court issued notice to the Delhi police on Bina Modi's plea and listed the case for hearing on Jul. 29. Bina Modi is the mother of Samir K. Modi.

 

The case relates to an incident in May 2024 when Samir Modi attempted to attend a board meeting and was allegedly stopped by his mother's personal security officer, Surendra Prasad, who claimed to be acting on her instructions. Samir Modi said he was physically assaulted during the confrontation, resulting in a fractured finger that required surgical intervention.

 

In February this year, the trial court took cognisance of the matter and held that there was sufficient prima facie material suggesting possible involvement or a "meeting of minds" among the accused. Consequently, it issued summons to Bina Modi and others on Samir Modi's plea.

 

Advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Bina Modi, said there was no incident of any nature which could have prompted the trial court to pass the summons order. Closed-circuit television showed Bina Modi did not take part in the scuffle and she diffused the situation by asking Samir Modi to come in, said Rohatgi.

 

Modi is the son of late businessman K.K. Modi and brother of former India Premier League chairman Lalit Modi. Samir Modi was removed from Godfrey Phillips's board at a meeting in August 2024 after fellow directors did not support his reappointment. In his place, the company appointed Charu Modi, who is the daughter of Bina Modi and late K.K. Modi, and sister to Samir and Lalit Modi. Currently, Samir Modi is the managing director of Modi Enterprises, a company founded by his grandfather Gujarmal Modi in 1933.

 

At 1500 IST, shares of Godfrey Phillips were up 1.6% at INR 2,042.50 on the National Stock Exchange.  End

 

IST, or Indian Standard Time, is five-and-a-half hours ahead of GMT

 

Reported by Surya Tripathi

Edited by Ashish Shirke

 

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