A press statement issued by Fortis Healthcare, the current owners of Escort Heart Institute, welcomed the order. However, a representative of the petitioner Anil Nanda said the order was against a technical error and not the merit of their petition.
"The court has not ruled on the merits of the case. We have full faith in the judicial system and will file an appeal in the division bench on Tuesday. No where in the world can a charitable institute be converted into a private property under any law and we are fighting to convert it back into a charity organisation".
Anil Nanda is the younger brother of industrialist Rajan Nanda, chairman of Escorts. He mounted a legal challenge against his elder brother in September 2005 when Fortis Healthcare, promoted by the Singh family of Ranbaxy, acquired the hospital for Rs 650 crore.
Fortis promoter Shivinder Mohan Singh said, "We welcome the honorable Court's decision. This will be a landmark judgment in the history of Escorts Heart Institute. We were confident that the Court would pass a judgment in our favour. Our trust and confidence has only been reinforced".
