Indian Hotels Company has claimed part ownership of the Taj Mahal hotel in Delhi in an attempt to queer New Delhi Municipal Council's pitch to auction the property before the lease with the Tatas expires this October, a source having knowledge of the development said.
Tata group subsidiary IHCL, which operates the Taj group of hotels, including the landmark Taj Mahal hotel in the heart of Lutyens Delhi, filed an injunction suit this week ahead of a possible auction of the property's lease by the government agency.
The source, who did not want to be identified, said that contrary to NDMC's claim, which has been verified by consultant firm Ernst & Young, the Taj group now says, it too had invested in the property when it was built in the late 1970s and, therefore, is a rightful joint owner.