The two factions of the Bajaj family are meeting the mediators in Mumbai over the weekend in an effort to arrive at an amicable solution. But interestingly, the two brothers — Rahul Bajaj and Shishir Bajaj — will not sit across the table at this juncture.
It is reliably learnt that Rahul Bajaj would be meeting the two mediators to the dispute, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar and Dhirajlal Mehta on Saturday, while Shishir Bajaj would be meeting the interlocutors on Sunday.
Pawar is currently in New Delhi where he is attending the monsoon session of Parliament. He is also flying down to Mumbai on Friday. The Maratha strongman is expected to play an important role in the mediation process. Pawar was also a close friend of Ramakrishna Bajaj, father of Shekhar, Madhur and Niraj Bajaj, and Rahul Bajaj’s uncle.
Mehta, the other interlocutor, is on the board of a number of Bajaj Group companies including Bajaj Auto, Bajaj Auto Finance, Bajaj Auto Holdings, among others. Importantly, Mehta is also on the board of Bajaj Hindustan, which is managed by Shishir Bajaj. Mehta also enjoys a cordial relationship with Pawar.
According to sources the two sides would individually meet the mediators to present their cases to the two sides. Sources close to the family insist that there is still no concrete formal proposal from Shishir’s side.
The formal process of separation has already been initiated with the private charity trusts that had been set up for the family members having been transferred under the trusteeship of their respective parents.
The trust under which Kushagra is the benefactor would be under the trusteeship of Shishir Bajaj and his wife, each trust having two trustees.