A test of wills: Who is Rohit Bal's ‘successor’?

In a simmering battle over who should own the brand and assets of iconic fashion designer Rohit Bal, who died on November 1 following heart-related complications, his brother Rajiv Bal and his friend of 22 years Lalit Tehlan are crossing swords over the designer's purported will.

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Refusing to confirm or deny if the designer had left a will bequeathing all he had to him as immediate family, step brother Rajiv Bal says, “I have no comments on a will. Lalit Tehlan has claimed he has a document. Nobody has seen it yet. Let him present it before everybody and then we will seek legal recourse. As far as | am concerned, he is a stranger to the family. | continue to be a director of Rohit Bal Designs Private Limited. Our creative heads are continuing their business as it always was. We are busy getting orders this wedding season,” Rajiv Bal told The Indian Express. He also refused to share if Rohit Bal had discussed the future of his business with him in his last days.

Tehlan says Rohit Bal owned 99 per cent of Rohit Bal Designs Private Limited and since a company needs at least two directors, one per cent of stake was given to Rajiv Bal. He's claiming his right as successor to the brand and assets that include two floors in Defence Colony, a factory in Noida, some land, artworks and artefacts. Sources say the land value itself is valued at no less than Rs 100 crore.Rajiv Bal also dismissed the claims of Tehlan as founder of one of the sub-brands of Rohit Bal Fashion, Alexander Jeans. “The label is Alexander Jeans by Rohit Bal and Tehlan has nothing to do with it,” he reiterates.