Real-estate tycoon Gopal Raheja names his estranged son Sandeep as heir

Realty tycoon Gopal Raheja may have waged a war against his son Sandeep Raheja and daughter-in-law Durga until his last breath in March, but the construction czar has bequeathed all his estate and properties to his son, proving that blood is thicker than water.
According to the will made in May 2007, Gopal Raheja also mentioned that he has already provided for his daughters Sabita Narang and Sonali Arora and therefore not made any provision for them in this will. “I give devise and bequeath all my estate, properties and effects whatsoever and wheresoever situated including all my movable and immovable properties to my son Sandeep Gopal Raheja absolutely,” reads the will of Raheja.

In 2012, the founder of the Rs 11,000-crore worth realty group had accused son Sandeep of trying to usurp his entire business consisting of 25 companies. Following his petition against his son in the Bombay High Court in late 2012, Raheja had also expressed his willingness to consider an out-of-court settlement in this matter. The case, however, until the time of Raheja’s death, was in court as no out-of-court settlement was reached. The next hearing was scheduled this month.

Raheja’s demise had made the battle for control of the empire apparent; but the will has cleared all doubts for now, at least until someone decides to contest it. When contacted, Raheja’s legal advisors in the matter of his fight with his son declined to comment. Multiple calls and text messages to Sandeep did not elicit any response. Raheja’s daughter Sabita Narang’s office also declined to comment.




“My executors and trustees (Sandeep and Durga) shall be entitled to collect and bring in all my estate, properties and effects whatsoever and wheresoever situated and in whatever form the same may be and in whatever capacity I may be entitled to the same and shall be at full liberty to retain my estate, properties and effects in the same state of investments as the same may be found at the time of my death,” said the copy of the will reviewed by ETPanache.

Gopal Raheja, of realty major GL Raheja Group, who was one of the first professional developers in the country, passed away at the age of 80 years in Mumbai last month. Raheja was an active real estate developer since the 1960s, known mostly for his residential developments across central Mumbai’s Worli and the suburbs of Bandra, Khar, Santacruz and Juhu. The real estate group is known for being one of the biggest private owners of land in Mumbai, while also possessing properties in other parts of the country through several subsidiaries.

Raheja’s father Lachmandas, also a property developer, founded the K Raheja group in the 1950s. The group was later split between his companies including Gopal Raheja’s K Raheja Constructions, Chandru Raheja’s K Raheja Corp. and Suresh Raheja’s K Raheja Universal. Raheja was behind the group’s successful retail and hospitality ventures. A civil engineer, he was a founder of the Practicing Engineers Architects and Town Planners Association of India.