The Calcutta High Court Monday heard the Birlas' plea seeking appointment of an administrator to run the M.P. Birla group companies and the Rs.50 billion estate reportedly bequeathed to R.S. Lodha by the late Priyamvada Birla's will.

Justice Kalyanjyoti Sengupta heard Birlas' counsel S.B. Mookherjee who, resuming his submissions in the case for appointment of an administrator, said that Lodha has not furnished any answers to the various issues raised by the Birlas in the supplementary affidavit filed by him.

Mookherjee cited a number of court cases dealing with the appointment of the administrator and submitted that there are three reasons for the court to appoint an administrator immediately to protect the estate.

"The vastness of the estate, the fact that the 1999 will is under serious challenge and shrouded in suspicion and the fact that the executor himself (Lodha) is the beneficiary," Mookherjee put forth as the said reasons.

Appearing on behalf of the heirs of the late Laxmi Devi Newar, senior counsel S. Pal said that the late M.P. Birla and Priyamvada Birla had two mutual wills in 1981 and 1982, where the dominant leaning was towards charity.

"The proximity of Lodha as advisor to Priyamvada Birla strongly indicates avenues of manipulation," Pal argued.

The hearing will continue Tuesday.

On July 29 in a setback to Lodha in the ongoing 'will' battle with the Birlas, the Alipore court of Kolkata directed him and three others to appear in person before it on Sep 6 in a criminal suit filed against them by the Birlas.

The high-profile legal battle broke out in July last year when the Birlas challenged Lodha, who was a close confidant of M.P. Birla and his wife Priyamvada Birla and was found out to be the beneficiary of the latter's will.

The Birla family put up a united front. The Birla family and Lodha have been embroiled in as many as seven cases since then.