Calcutta, Nov. 30: Calcutta High Court today directed Rajendra S. Lodha to serve notices on some Birla family members who, he claimed, had certain ornaments of late Priyamvada Birla in their possession.

Justice Kalyan Jyoti Sengupta directed Lodha to serve notice on four members of Birla family, including Shobhana Bhartia, daughter of K.K. Birla; Rajashree Birla, wife of late A.V. Birla; Avanti Birla, wife of Yash Birla, and Radhika Birla, wife of late Madhukar Birla.

Justice Sengupta passed the order after Lodha counsel Anindya Mitra submitted a one-page list detailing the ornaments lying with them. The handwriting is said to be of R.P. Pansari, a former MP Birla group employee and a Birla family aide.

The Birlas denied possessing the items.“The handwriting is forged. We are considering filing a criminal and a defamation case,” Birla sources said. Pansari had earlier filed a criminal case against Lodha.

“We are aghast to see that they can stoop to such a level and involve the ladies. Lodha will now lose whatever little sympathy he had,” they added. They wanted to know why the list was not brought to the notice of the court when the inventory was being made. The list mentions more than 30 jewellery items. The matter will come up again at the court on December 12.

Mitra claimed Lodha had waited till the stock-taking of the inventory of Priyamvada’s assets at her residence here was completed to be sure whether the ornaments mentioned on the list had been returned. He said the report of the court-appointed special officers revealed that the listed items were not found in Priyamvada’s residence.

The court had earlier appointed special officers to prepare an inventory of items at Priyavmada’s Birla Park residence.

Meanwhile, the Birlas, seeking appointment of an administrator for the assets of the MP Birla group, moved an application before the court today alleging that Lodha had deliberately concealed the assets of Priyamvada.