Dawoodi Bohra succession dispute: HC verdict will establish truth, claimant faction says

Mumbai: The claimant to the title of ‘Dai-ul Mutlaq’ in the Dawoodi Bohra community succession dispute said on Thursday that the Bombay High Court verdict would establish the truth.

The court on Wednesday concluded the hearing and reserved its verdict in the dispute between Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin, the current leader of Dawoodi Bohras, and his challenger Taher Fakhruddin.

'Select press meeting' held at Yacht Club to update media

Fakhruddin’s side had organised a press conference to update the media about the court proceedings that have already taken place since the case was filed nine years ago.

The “select press meeting” was held at the Yacht Club, Colaba. Among those present were Anand Desai (the senior counsel who first represented Khuzaima Qutbuddin, the original plaintiff who has since died, and now represents his son Taher Fakhruddin). Fakhruddin’s brothers, the ‘Mazoon-e-Dawat’ Syedi Abdeali and Aziz Qutbuddin, and a few of their supporters were also present.

“The High Court order will establish the truth in the case. It will bring the truth out. The community is waiting with bated breath and there has been a lot of anguish and hope,” Abdeali said.

Abdeali said that his father, the original plaintiff, had fought the case as he felt it was his duty. This is not the first time that the community is seeing a succession battle. There was one during the reign of Emperor Akbar too.

“Both sides have a following in the community and even in the courts it was decided that it is not a ‘popularity contest’,” Abdeali said.

Desai said that an interim injunction was sought to restrain the other side from using the title of Dai till the case was decided, but the court said it will instead decide on the (succession) suit itself.

Asked what they would do if the judgment went against them, Desai said it was “premature”. “This meeting is to just tell people what is already there on record in the court. Not many people know what transpired. Only a select few media reported the case on a daily basis, so we just wanted to ensure that more people know about it,” Desai said.