In Battle for ₹11,000 Crore Tobacco Empire, Son Accuses Mother of Assault

Samir Modi, the executive director of Godfrey Phillips, has accused his mother, Bina Modi, of orchestrating an attack on him. This accusation has added fuel to the ongoing family feud over the late KK Modi’s ₹11,000 crore inheritance.

Samir Modi lodged a complaint with the Delhi Police on Friday, alleging that his mother’s personal security officer (PSO) and several directors of Godfrey Phillips caused him “grievous hurt” when he attempted to enter a scheduled board meeting at the company’s Jasola office in Delhi. “The incident happened on Thursday when I was trying to enter the scheduled board meeting of GP at Jasola in Delhi,” Mr. Modi told a news agency. “I was prevented by Bina Modi’s PSO from entering the meeting. When I insisted, he tried to push me and said that I was not allowed to enter the board meeting.”

The confrontation resulted in Mr. Modi sustaining a broken index finger. Despite his injuries, Mr. Modi attended the board meeting before seeking medical attention. “My index finger has been broken into two and requires a screw and wire to be put together, and I may not regain full function of my index finger,” Mr. Modi detailed in his complaint filed at Sarita Vihar police station. “The screw used to fix the finger will stay with me for a lifetime and my right-hand index finger will never be wholly functional, I am informed by the medical practitioners.”

“I had never imagined being assaulted in my own office,” Samir Modi said from his New Friends Colony home in the capital. “While the court case on the settlement of shares is pending, I’ll not sell my stake now. The effort is to remove me from the board, which will not happen.”

Samir Modi alleged that he suspects the attack was premeditated to prevent his participation in the meeting and to pressure him into selling his stake. Despite a previous offer from his mother to buy his stake through a mediator, Mr. Modi has now resolved not to agree to an exit. 

The family feud, which has been ongoing since the death of KK Modi, involves a significant shareholding in Godfrey Phillips and other group companies. Samir Modi has also accused his mother of not distributing funds as stipulated in a trust deed executed by his father. This legal battle is currently pending in the Supreme Court.

Apart from his role at Godfrey Phillips, in which Phillip Morris holds a 25% share, Samir Modi also heads consumer businesses such as Colorbar Cosmetics, 24/7 Retail, and the direct selling platform Modicare. 

He claims that the attack was intended to prevent him from fulfilling his duties as a director of the company. A spokesperson for Godfrey Phillips has denied the allegations, calling them “entirely false and atrocious.” They added that the incident was recorded on the in-house CCTV cameras, which would clarify the events.