Here's everything you need to know about the ongoing Godfrey Phillips Feud worth Rs. 11,000 crore, which is between a mother and her son, Bina Modi and Samir Modi.
Godfrey Phillips India Limited is one of India's most prominent tobacco manufacturers. With an annual turnover of more than Rs. 2925.74 crores back in March 2021, it is among some of the most valuable companies in India. For the uninitiated, it is the same company that manufactures and distributes one of the highest-selling cigarettes, Marlboro, in India under a license agreement with its owner, Philip Morris International.
According to Godfrey Phillips' official website, Bina Modi serves as the company's Chairperson and Managing Director, while her younger son, Samir Modi is the firm's Executive Director. For the unversed, Godfrey Phillips has been all over the news for some time, courtesy of the feud that has been going on between the mother-son duo, Bina Modi and Samir Modi.
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According to a report in the Econicmic Times, Samir Modi is the one, who broke the headlines after he accused his own mother, Bina Modi of controlling the affairs of Godfrey Phillips, which is a flagship company of Modi Enterprises. Not only this, Samir also stated that his mother was withholding funds from other members of the family.
Apart from accusations of Bina Modi increasing her control at Godfrey Phillips, the matter that soured her relationship with Samir Modi was over the distribution of Rs. 11,000 crore inheritance. What's interesting is the fact that Lalit Modi and Samir Modi are surprisingly on the same side. The brothers are now fighting against their mother, Bina Modi in court to seek the distribution of their family's Rs. 11,000 crore inheritance.
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The matter was already heated up in court, but it was on May 30, 2024, when Samir Modi was reportedly attacked when he was on his way to attend a scheduled board meeting of Godfrey Phillips. The businessman accused his mother, Bina Modi of planning the entire attack on him. Sharing the details of the attack in which he suffered a broken index finger, Samir Modi revealed that his mother's PSO stopped him from entering the board meeting and even pushed him aside.
Samir Modi's ground-breaking accusation has been dominating the headlines for some time now. However, in response to his claims, a spokesperson of Godfrey Phillips came forward in public and denied all the allegations against Bina Modi. The spokesperson labelled Samir Modi's accusations as 'entirely false' and told the authorities to check the CCTV cameras in order to know the truth. The investigation is going on as Samir Modi had filed a police complaint with Delhi Police against Bina Modi and others.
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On June 1, 2024, Lalit Modi took to his Instagram handle and posted two pictures of his younger brother, Samir Modi, who is in hospital. The elder brother confirmed all the accusations made by Samir as he clearly mentioned in the caption of his post that his mother, Bina Modi's security staff had thrashed his brother.
Lalit Modi also added that the attack by his mother's security on Samir was so lethal that chances are high that his hand is possibly permanently impaired. Lalit Modi also sympathises with his brother, who is currently hospitalised and receiving treatment at a hospital. Lalit Modi's note in the caption can be read as:
"Heartbroken to see my younger brother in this state. For a mother #binamodi to have a #son @samirmodi beaten up by her security in a way that his hand is possibly permanently impaired is shocking. and his only sin was that he wanted to attend a board meeting. all the board members are #guilty of this #heinous #crime. my heart reaches out to my brother. #family #mom #son #beta."
For the uninitiated, after the demise of Bina Modi’s husband, K.K. Modi back on November 2, 2019, the former decided to continue the family trust. Interestingly, Bina’s kids, Samir Modi and Charu Modi, supported her. However, Lalita Modi was the one, who opposed her mother’s decision and demanded the dissolution of the family trust. Things took an intense turn when Lalit Modi announced his son, Ruchir Modi as the head of the brand and beneficiary of the KK Modi Family Trust.
Revealing the reason behind his decision, Lalit Modi shared that he wanted to retire so that he could groom his kids, Ruchir Modi and Aliya Modi. The feud over KK Modi Family Trust shows no signs of closing soon. Bina Modi also reacted to her son’s decision to appoint her grandson, Ruchir, to such an esteemed position. The businesswoman warned Lalit Modi, saying that she would take strict legal action against Lalit Modi.
Talking about the current status of Lalit Modi and Bina Modi’s feud, the Supreme Court adjourned their long-lasting property dispute back on July 14, 2023. The final hearing of the dispute was scheduled for November 2023. Since then, there’s been no official update on the case, and now Samir Modi’s feud with his mother, Bina Modi, over Rs. 11,000 crore inheritance case has overshadowed it completely.
Talking about Samir Modi's personal life, he is married to a businesswoman, Shivani Gupta, who is the Co-founder of the content-driven social network, Ceeker. The couple has two gorgeous daughters, Jayati and Vedika. While not much is known about their younger daughter, Vedika, Samir and Shivani's elder daughter, Jayati had worked in the 2013 film, Gippi. It will be interesting to see how Samir Modi is going to fight for his share in his late father, Krishan Kumar Modi's Rs. 11,000 crore fortune.
What are your thoughts on Samir Modi's severe accusations against his own mother, Bina Modi? Let us know.
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