Pune: German Bakery Ownership Dispute Settled After 21 Years
Pune, 5th October 2021: A 21-year-old dispute over ownership of Koregaon Park’s famous German Bakery and other properties has finally been settled. The court also ordered that the other members of the Kharose family be given ownership, permanent possession, and division of shares. The verdict was handed down by Civil Court Judge Kranti Pingale.
In April 2000, Laxmi Narayan Kharose (60) had filed a petition seeking permanent restraint of property division, possession and non-establishment of rights by third parties. Smita Dnyaneshwar Kharose and Ranjana Kharose, son Shankar and Ram (now deceased), Ram’s son Manoj, relatives Neetu Jadhav, Darshana Bhosale, Kusum Bhosale, Krishna Pawar, Rukmini Bandal, Udhane Shewale Enterprise (which was running the bakery), Rajan Udhane, Vijay Shewale, Shewale’s wife Lakshmi, Shewale’s son Vikram and Kamini Taware were named as defendants in the case.
After the death of Lakshmi’s son Dnyaneshwar Kharose, his wife Smita took possession of the property. The property of the German bakery was given to Udhane and Shewale to run according to an agreement. Defendants other than Smita Kharose had sought a share in the property stating that it was ancestral.
German Bakery was started in 1987 by Smitas late husband Dnyaneshwar Kharose along with Woody, an Oshoite from Germany. After Woody left India in the mid-90s, the Kharoses became sole owners.
Around 7.15 pm on February 13, 2010, a powerful bomb ripped through the German Bakery. The blast claimed 17 lives, including those of five foreigners, and injured another 65 patrons present on the premises.
