The Delhi High Court on Wednesday stayed the trial court proceedings against industrialist Bina Modi and Advocate Lalit Bhasin in a case related to the alleged assault of Godfrey Phillips India Executive Director Samir Modi.
Justice Saurabh Banerjee passed the stay order today after Bhasin and Bina Modi moved the Court challenging the summons issued by the trial court to them on February 10, 2026.
“Issue notice. Learned APP [Additional Public Prosecutor] accepts notice. He seeks and is granted four weeks for filing status report. Issue notice to Respondent No 2 [Samir Modi] through IO [investigating officer]. Learned counsel for the parties are directed to file written synopsis not exceeding five pages, at least week prior to the next date of hearing. In the meanwhile, there shall be stay on the proceedings pending before the trial court,” the Court order.
The case will be heard next on July 29.
Sami Modi is the son of Bina Modi. The family has been engaged in a legal battle over the control of their business empire. Samir Modi has accused his mother of mismanaging the family trust and excluding him from key decisions. Bina Modi has refuted these allegations.
The case stems from a complaint filed by Samir Modi over an incident that took place on May 30, 2024, at the Jasola office of Godfrey Phillips India. Bhasin also attended the meeting.
According to the complaint, Samir Modi was attempting to attend a board meeting when he was allegedly stopped by his mother’s personal security officer, Surendra Prasad, who claimed to be acting on her instructions.
Modi alleged that he was physically assaulted during the confrontation, resulting in a fractured finger that required surgical intervention. The Delhi Police initially filed a chargesheet in March 2025, naming only the security officer as an accused, stating that there was insufficient evidence against Bina Modi and Bhasin.
However, Samir Modi challenged this through a protest petition, seeking their inclusion in the case. In February 2026, the court took cognisance of the matter and held that there was sufficient prima facie material suggesting possible involvement or a “meeting of minds” among the accused. It emphasised that such material warranted a trial, leading to the issuance of a summons for further proceedings.
Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi appeared for Bina Modi before the High Court today and argued that this was a case of "complete perversity".
He showed the Court CCTV footage and argued that it was clear from the video that it was Bina Modi who said that Samir should be allowed into the room.
Rohatgi said that Samir Modi sat in the meeting for nearly two hours and then went and made a complaint about the alleged assault. The senior counsel added that Samit Modi alleged that he got a fracture in his index finger, but even after the alleged fracture, he sat in the meeting and signed documents.
"The unimpeachable evidence is the CCTV. That is examined by the IO. He [IO] examined persons sitting in the room and other people. The CCTV shows that neither the petitioner [Bina Modi] nor the second petitioner [Lalit Bhasin] partook in the scuffle. In fact, they diffused the situation by asking the person [Samir Modi] to come in," Rohatgi stated.