Pune: Kalyani Family Dispute Referred to Mediation by Supreme Court

New Delhi,13th July 2026: The long-running dispute among the Kalyani siblings has been referred to mediation by the Supreme Court of India. A three-judge Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Justice Surya Kant directed the siblings to participate in mediation and appointed former Supreme Court judge Justice L. Nageswara Rao as the mediator.

The order, passed on Monday (July 13), by Chief Justice Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V. Mohan, comes against the backdrop of multiple litigations involving the Kalyani siblings—Baba Kalyani (77), Sugandha Hiremath (74) and Gaurishankar Kalyani (72)—and their family members.

The matter reached the Supreme Court after Sugandha Hiremath (née Kalyani) challenged a Bombay High Court order dated May 4, 2026, which had declined to refer the dispute to mediation. Before the High Court, Baba Kalyani had opposed mediation on multiple grounds, prompting the court to observe that mediation cannot be imposed on an unwilling party.

The Kalyani family has been embroiled in legal disputes over ancestral wealth for more than a decade. Besides the High Court proceedings, several cases are pending before different forums, including civil suits seeking partition of joint family assets and probate proceedings. The disputed assets are estimated to be worth more than ₹1 lakh crore and include extensive immovable properties as well as stakes in several listed companies of the Kalyani Group, which are largely under the control of Baba Kalyani and Gaurishankar Kalyani.

During Monday’s hearing, Sugandha Hiremath was represented by Karanjawala & Co., RJD & Partners, and Senior Advocate Shyam Divan. Baba Kalyani’s side was represented by Senior Advocates A.M. Singhvi, Kapil Sibal and Aryama Sundaram.

At the outset, the Bench remarked that attempting mediation in the present case was akin to “taking an unwilling horse to a pond.” Counsel for Baba Kalyani argued that previous mediation efforts had failed and that Sugandha Hiremath had sought mediation at a crucial stage of one of the pending cases.

The Bench, however, maintained that the parties should make a sincere attempt at mediation. The Chief Justice observed that mediation would succeed only if senior counsel on both sides encouraged the siblings to resolve their differences. The court also remarked that, given the immense wealth involved, all parties should focus on constructive solutions rather than prolonged litigation.

Illustrating the potential of mediation, the Bench referred to a previous dispute between two brothers from a business family. It recounted how the elder brother said he did not want any share of the wealth but only wished for his younger brother to touch his feet as a mark of respect. After the younger brother did so, the two embraced, broke down emotionally and settled their long-pending dispute. “Such is the miracle and magic of mediation,” the Bench observed.

Baba Kalyani’s counsel requested that the mediation process be time-bound and that proceedings before the High Court continue simultaneously. The Supreme Court, however, directed that all related proceedings remain stayed during the mediation process.

The Bench instructed the parties to approach Justice L. Nageswara Rao without delay and directed that the mediation commence from Tuesday, observing that there remained a possibility of an amicable settlement.

The matter has been listed for further hearing after two weeks.