The battle between hotelier Ravi Ghai and his son Gaurav has escalated with both of them hurling allegations against each other. S Balakrishnan presents both the sides of the story.
The city was recently shaken by allegations levelled by businessman Gaurav Ghai against his own father Ravi Ghai (82), founder of the Graviss Group. Reports in a section of the media portrayed Ravi Ghai and his daughters as perpetrators of extortion, Ravi Ghai observed in a statement on Monday.
“My son seeks to harass, defame, and pressurise me to withdraw my legitimate claims. But I will not be silenced. This fight is for my dignity, for my daughters, and for justice,” Ghai Sr asserted.
Ravi Ghai said he is a prostate cancer patient under continuing medical supervision. He was first diagnosed in 2018 at The London Clinic by Dr. Senthil Nathan, consultant urological surgeon, and subsequently underwent 36 sessions of radiotherapy. Even after the completion of this cycle, his condition required ongoing monitoring.
Upon returning to India, his treatment was continued under Dr. Karuna Luthra, senior oncologist in Mumbai, who confirmed that the disease remains active and requires sustained therapy. Both the doctors have issued written confirmations, supported by their medical prescriptions, that Ghai continues to be a cancer patient in fragile health.
Family Feud
At the heart of this dispute lies unbridled greed, Ghai alleged. Years ago, Gaurav demanded his father part with properties in London and Dubai. When Ravi refused having already given his son a home and wishing to safeguard his other assets for his daughters the resentment began. That resentment deepened after the collapse of personal and independent joint venture, a failure directly attributable to Gaurav’s mismanagement, which cost the company debts and company sold this JV. Upon selling the venture, Ravi distributed part of his profits to his daughters. This gesture of fairness enraged Gaurav.
Property Dispute
The first complaint in this saga was not filed by Gaurav, but by his father, Ravi Ghai, who accused his son of forgery, cheating, and fabrication of documents. Ravi has already approached the Esplanade Court under Section 175(3), lodged complaints before SEBI and EOW, issued legal notices to newspapers for irresponsible one-sided reporting, and even filed a defamation suit of ₹500 crores. He has also initiated civil actions seeking cancellation of the fraudulent FSA 2021 and SFSA 2023 agreements, which are entirely one-sided and devoid of any logic documents no rational person could ever have agreed to. His daughters, including Mrs. Ravina Bhojwani, are filing affidavits confirming that their signatures were obtained only on pre-printed sheets under instructions of their brother Gaurav without disclosure of the contents. The only beneficiary of these documents is Gaurav himself.
Past Sacrifices
The cruelty lies not only in business betrayal but in personal abandonment. Ravi, a cancer survivor, was first diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2018. During this painful period, Gaurav abandoned his father. It was his daughters who stood by him and cared for him. This, despite the fact that it was Ravi Ghai who once stood by his son Gaurav during his own life-threatening health crisis. Years ago, when Gaurav suffered a severe cardiac condition, Ravi personally ensured that he received the very best treatment available. Without hesitation, he arranged for a private jet to fly his son from India to the Cleveland Clinic in the United States. There, Gaurav underwent multiple surgeries and remained under intensive medical care for 22 days. Throughout this period, it was Ravi who bore the entire financial and emotional burden, spending more than ₹3 crores on his son’s treatment.
