29. I must consider now the third aspect of Dossa’s evidence, and that relates to his, and his family’s, relationship with the Defendant. This also affects the last matter for consideration, viz., the Defendant’s allegation of undue influence. Dossa’s evidence on this is in paragraphs 13 to 22 of his evidence affidavit. For both Shailesh, Babubhai’s son, and the Defendant, Supriya, this was their second marriage. Supriya was earlier married to one Padhye, by whom she had a daughter Sameera. Shailesh was previously married to one Pritam Bhatti. That marriage ended in a divorce. Shailesh and Pritam had no children. Shailesh and Supriya married on 31st December 2000. Sameera, Supriya’s daughter by her first marriage, lived with them. Shailesh and Supriya had no children of their own. Dossa says that a year or so later, Supriya began pressurising and nagging Shailesh to formally adopt Sameera. It is common ground that there was no such formal adoption. There was, Dossa says, resistance from Shailesh and his family. He deposes to increasing friction and tension in the family on account of Supriya’s conduct. She was, he says, a quarrelsome and most disagreeable person. Shailesh, too, was stressed by this. He took to drink. Dossa claims to have personally witnessed quarrels between Shailesh and Supriya and between Supriya and other members of the family. Shailesh gradually became an alcoholic. His health deteriorated. He contracted hepatitis and, on 3rd February 2005, died of cirrhosis. Dossa says that Babubhai and Neelaben asked Supriya to keep peace within the family. She did not, and following Shailesh’s death, her conduct worsened.
