Headline: Why the Patak's empire is in a pickle. By: Steven Morris Source: The Guardian, Monday February 9, 2004, at http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/story/0,3604,1144014,00.html
Excerpts: Laxmishanker Pathak arrived in Britain from Kenya in the late 1950s after Mau Mau terror attacks. He had only those few pounds in his pocket but spotted that there might be a market for Asian food in London and started to produce samosas in a 6ft by 5ft kitchen. Today the empire is worth more than �50 million. But a hearing this week before a judge at the high court in London will expose the trouble at the heart of Britain's most famous producers of tikka masala and tandoori. Chitralekha and Anila Pathak claim they lost their share in the business because of the Indian custom of property being handed down only to male heirs. At the heart of the case is the question of whether Anila and Chitralekha were cut out because they were women. They claim they were victims of the Indian custom by which businesses are passed down only to male heirs, and point out that under India's Hindu succession act 1956 property can now be passed to women. They also claim that, anyway, the Pathak family became so anglicised that it should follow British rather than Indian rules and customs on inheritance. Mr Pathak argues that the sisters' claim is now out of time. He argues he has transformed the company over the past 10 years and that it is not fair for the sisters to press their case now that the company is flourishing. It is not the first time the family has been involved in high-profile proceedings. Shortly before he died in 1997 Laxmishanker Pathak made corruption allegations in India against PV Narasimha Rao, then Indian prime minister, who was later convicted. Full text, 1209 words, at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/story/0,3604,1144014,00.html Eddie Fernandes ########################################################################## # Send submissions for Goanet to [EMAIL PROTECTED] # # PLEASE remember to stay on-topic (related to Goa), and avoid top-posts # # More details on Goanet at http://joingoanet.shorturl.com/ # # Please keep your discussion/tone polite, to reflect respect to others # ##########################################################################
