The Marine Drive police have determined that the bitter family dispute within the Ghai family is civil in nature and has declined to register a criminal FIR in the matter.
Ravi Ghai, founder of the Graviss Group, which owns Hotel Intercontinental at Marine Drive, Kwality restaurants etc, had accused his son Gaurav and other family members of forging his signature to take over control over the company assets. Gaurav had vehemently denied the allegations and said his father had on his own volition signed the relevant documents. Ghai Sr had even issued public notices against Gaurav and others adding to the acrimony of the dispute.
In his statement to the Marine Drive police, 82-year-old Ravi Ghai alleged that Gaurav misused his trust and forged his signature on a supplementary family settlement document in August 2023 while he was abroad undergoing cancer treatment.
Ghai claimed that under the pretext of routine business matters, Gaurav and his wife Sumita took his signatures on various documents over the years, which were later allegedly misused to gain full control over the Graviss Group — a hospitality conglomerate that includes the InterContinental Hotel in Mumbai and Baskin Robbins in the SAARC region. Ravi, who had gifted 49% of the company shares to Gaurav on his 50th birthday in 2020, said he was shocked to learn that Gaurav had declared himself chairman and stopped his monthly allowance in January 2025. The documents presented, Ravi said, had his forged signature — a fact he claims was confirmed by a forensic expert.
In response, Gaurav Ghai issued a detailed rebuttal, asserting that the dispute is entirely civil and already under arbitration. His statement recalled that a Family Settlement Agreement (FSA) was signed in 2021 between Ravi, Gaurav, and Geeta Ghai, giving Gaurav full control of the business, while Ravi retained a 51% shareholding until his demise.
A supplemental agreement in 2023 reaffirmed these terms, with Ravi reportedly receiving additional compensation and instructing that his shares be frozen in Gaurav’s favour with law firm Trilegal verifying the execution of documents.Gaurav also highlighted Ravi’s history of disputes with other family members and law firms, suggesting a pattern of allegations. He emphasized that the Graviss Group founded by the late I.K. Ghai had flourished under his leadership for over two decades while Ravi remained uninvolved in day-to-day operations.
Marine Drive police, after preliminary inquiry, confirmed the case appeared to be civil in nature. Senior Police Inspector Nilesh Bagul told the Free Press Journal that Ravi Ghai may now pursue the matter through the courts.The high-stakes family conflict pitted father against son in a legal battle over control of one of Mumbai’s well-known hospitality businesses.
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