Stating that the allegations made by Jaidev Thackeray against him and Bal Thackeray had caused "lot of bitterness", Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday refused an amicable settlement to the will row. But he also sought more time to think over the court's proposal.
"We need some more time (to think about this). Let us keep this option open and move ahead," advocate Rajesh Shah told the court. Earlier, when Justice Gautam Patel asked him what he had thought about amicable resolution, he nodded his head.
"They (Uddhav Thackeray and family) are more worried about the allegations made against the deceased. That has caused lot of bitterness among the petitioners and the close circuits," he said. But Jaidev Thackeray said he was willing to settle the dispute amicably.
"We see that it is not required to drag this matter to public," advocate Seema Sarnaik, appearing for Jaidev Thackeray, told the court.
After seeing Uddhav Thackeray's unwillingness, the court put forth two options in front of him. "If I can be of assistance, we can have an in-camera meeting. All the records of the meeting and the settlement will be sealed. The terms of settlement will not be disclosed," Justice Patel said, adding that such a settlement "will be in the larger interest of both the parties."
The court also put forth the option of appointing a mutually agreeable person to mediate. "There may a possibility of one person both the parties trust and know intimately (who will mediate). He will resolve the issue and try to persuade them," Justice Patel said.
He said that both the parties were looking at long trials, if they wished to continue with the court case. "If the defendent (Mr. Jaidev) succeeds, the consequences will be unimaginable for you. Similar is the case for him. It won't end here (the judgment will be challenged in the higher court)," the judge said.
He added that Mr. Jaidev did not seem to have any political aspirations. "He is a different bent of mind. He is aggrieved, thus he made these allegations. If a certain largeness of heart is shown, everybody will go home. Otherwise you will be here for long, and the results will be unpredictable," he said.
"How much of this do we drag to public? And make a display of it for what purpose?" he asked.
Thereafter, Uddhav pleaded for time, and sought that the matter be kept for directions on January 6, 2015. The court agreed to it.
Bal Thackeray has bequeathed most of his property to Uddhav Thackeray, leading elder son Jaidev Thackeray to challenge the deceased leader's will.
