Michael Tringham records more explosive family disputes
When Ranjit Singh died in March 2009 he believed that his will, executed 10 years earlier, would enable his three sons to inherit the bulk of his £870,000 fortune—in line with Sikh tradition. This, his solicitor son Jarnail told the High Court during a “costly” four-day hearing, treats daughters as members of their husbands’ families, provided for through large dowries.
The deceased’s daughter, Mrs Balvinder Kaur Ahluwalia, also a solicitor, disagreed. Under the will she and another sister would receive only £20,000 each, while a third sister, the fifth defendant in Ahluwalia v Singh & others [2011] All ER (D) 113 (Sep) who was left nothing, had signed a form explaining that she had not paid back money she had borrowed. Mrs Ahluwalia challenged the will on grounds that the two witnesses to the document were not both present at the same time to see Mr Singh sign it.
According to court reports, one of those witnesses, Mr Singh’s 78-year-old next-door neighbour, Maurice Grantham, was “adamant” that he and the other witness were not present at
