Haldiram’s in Connaught Place. (Prem Singh)

Prabhu Shankar Agarwal has moved Calcutta High Court to prove his innocence in an attempt to murder case, but his family members have pronounced their verdict.

“Yes, we grew up together, but his actions cannot be justified. I just feel sad that the Haldiram name has been tainted,” said Manoharlal Agarwal, the managing director and chairman of Delhi Haldiram’s.

Haldiram, a Rs 1,500-crore empire of three companies with a common trademark, traces its roots to Bikaner in Rajasthan. Formed in 1937, it was divided into three companies sometime in 1973-74 after which the three separate entities charted their own business paths.

With Prabhu Shankar convicted of hatching a plot to kill a Burrabazar teastall owner, brand Haldiram has come under fire prompting the other owners to dissociate themselves from their tainted brother.

“Yes, there is confusion amongst those who don’t know that we all are separate entities, but they just have to call to know the truth,” said Manoharlal.

The difference among the co-owners is also reflected in deed. While Prabhu Shankar battles on, his brothers have teamed up to grow the business beyond Calcutta and also set up a super-speciality cardiovascular hospital in Bikaner for the poor.

According to Manoharlal, Haldiram Manufacturing, of which he is a co-owner, focuses on markets in the north with its base in Delhi. Haldiram Foods is headquartered in Nagpur and caters to the western and the southern markets. Haldiram Bhujiawala has its hub in Calcutta and serves the east.

Prabhu Shankar Agarwal

Business associates of Haldiram’s told Metro that the company’s Calcutta business was divided among Prabhu Shankar, Mahesh and Ashok after their father Rameshwarlal Agarwal made this his base.

“We had split from Prabhu Shankar in the late 1990s as he tried to channelise money into risky ventures like real estate,” said a confidant of Mahesh, who owns the Haldiram’s Chowringhee outlet.

The Agarwal family is also involved in a legal tangle with Prabhu Shankar over the brand name. “In 1982 when we opened the Delhi branch we changed the name of our outlets from Haldiram Bhujiawala to just Haldiram’s. In 1991 when Prabhu Shankar tried to expand to Delhi he tried using the same name. We took him to the court and got a favourable ruling,” said Manoharlal.

Cases are pending in Delhi, Nagpur and Jodhpur courts.