Lodha vs Lodha: What's at Stake

The Bombay high court on Monday suggested resolving through mediation the ₹5,000-crore trademark dispute between brothers Abhishek Lodha and Abhinandan Lodha over using the brand name Lodha.

- Ateeq Shaikh

MUMBAI: The Bombay High Court on Monday suggested resolving through mediation the ₹5,000-crore trademark dispute between brothers Abhishek Lodha and Abhinandan Lodha over using the brand name Lodha.

A single-judge bench led by Justice Arif S Doctor, while hearing the arguments from both parties, suggested appointing a former chief justice to mediate on the matter. "The genesis of the family dispute appears to be between both brothers. Has any serious effort been made to resolve it? If a mediation or settlement is reached, it would put an end to every issue," the court stated.

Senior advocate Darius Khambata, representing Abhishek Lodha's Macrotech Developers, requested the court to consider a time-bound mediation, saying that his client's real estate firm's flat purchasers have approached them to clarify the confusion caused by the trademark dispute. "I am not going to stand in the way of mediation provided it is time-bound. It cannot be stretched for days," he said.

The court agreed with Khambata and asked both parties to respond whether they're willing to resolve the matter through mediation by Tuesday. "We can discuss getting the matter resolved within two weeks. We will appoint a former chief justice to mediate the matter," the bench said.

A spokesperson for Lodha Ventures, run by Abhinandan Lodha, said, "We will go by the advice of the Bombay High Court."