HDFC Bank CEO Sashidhar Jagdishan has approached the Supreme Court seeking to quash the FIR filed against him by the Lilavati Kirtilal Mehta Medical Trust, following repeated recusals by Bombay High Court judges hearing the case.
Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi mentioned the matter before a Supreme Court bench of Justices MM Sundresh and K Vinod Chandran on Wednesday, requesting urgent listing for Thursday. He argued that the FIR was frivolous and intended to pressure the bank amid an ongoing dispute between two groups of Lilavati Trust trustees.
“A frivolous FIR has been lodged against the MD and the Bank, by trustees of the Lilavati hospital, who are litigating against the other group of trustees. The bank has to recover money from them. To twist the arm, they have lodged an FIR through the Magistrate against the MD. Everyday the bank is suffering,” Rohatgi submitted.
The Supreme Court agreed to list the matter for hearing tomorrow.
The FIR, filed by the Trust, accuses Jagdishan of accepting a bribe of ₹2.05 crore from former trustee Chetan Mehta for providing financial advice and aiding him in retaining control of the Trust’s governance. It also alleges he misused his position as HDFC Bank CEO to interfere in the Trust’s internal affairs.
Jagdishan’s earlier plea before the Bombay High Court faced setbacks as three division benches recused from hearing the case — citing either personal difficulties or conflicts of interest (including Justice Jitendra Jain, who disclosed owning HDFC Bank shares).
With the next High Court date tentatively set for July 14 and continued delays, Jagdishan’s legal team has now sought relief directly from the apex court.
