The Bombay High Court has nullified a fraudulent attempt by 67-year-old Bilkish Yunus Namakwala to claim a ₹150-crore bungalow in Malabar Hill, originally owned by renowned eye specialist Sir Jamshedji Duggan. Justice Kamal Khata revoked the letters of administration granted to Namakwala in June 2022, ruling that they were obtained through false claims and without notifying interested parties. Namakwala alleged that Dr Duggan’s wife, Lady Jena Duggan, had bequeathed the property to her via a will dated April 6, 1993, after failing to repay a ₹27 lakh loan taken in 1980. Within weeks of securing the court order, she transferred the property to her name. The court called this a blatant fraud, fined her ₹25 lakh, and noted that the mortgage claim lacked supporting records or legal validity.
The ruling followed a petition by the executors of Dr Feroze Duggan’s will, who argued that a legitimate will from Lady Jena, dated April 4, 1993, had already bequeathed the property to her grandson. The court ordered the cancellation of the transfer deed, initiated criminal proceedings, and asked Namakwala to show cause for breaching a prior court directive to surrender the forged documents.
