Taxi driver cut out of his father's £400,000 will takes brother to court amid claims he 'disrespected' their dad by wearing tartan hat on day of his funeral

A taxi driver has taken his brother to court after being cut out of his father's £400,000 will after being accused of 'disrespect' when wearing a tartan hat on the day of their parent's funeral.Gowerdhan Dass died aged 89 in February 2024, leaving his estate to his youngest son, driving instructor Harish Verma, and Harish's wife Paramjit.That was in line with a will that he made in November 2023 – just three months before his sudden death.But the inheritance is now at the centre of a court clash between Harish, 57, and his older brother Bani Verma, a 67-year-old cabbie.Bani says their father was 'unduly influenced' to go back on an earlier will from 2015 which divided his estate equally among his family.Bani's lawyers are accusing driving instructor Harish of turning Gowerdhan against his eldest son and of plundering their father's money before he died, including using £18,750 to buy a Jaguar Land Rover car for his wife.Richard Buston, barrister for Bani Verma, said the father's fortune had been 'decimated' by Harish before his death and that Harish and his wife isolated 'elderly, frail and vulnerable' Gowerdhan from his wider family in his declining years.The brothers are now battling in court over which will stands. Bani Verma, 67, pictured outside Central London County Court, is in a legal battle with his brother Harish over their late father's £400,000 will Gowerdhan Dass died aged 89 in February 2024, leaving his estate to his youngest son, driving instructor Harish Verma (pictured), and Harish's wife Paramjit, according to a 2023 will Central London County Court heard that an earlier 2015 will by Gowerdhan (pictured) had split his money four ways between the families of Harish, Bani and Gowerdhan's two other childrenHarish has insisted Bani was emotionally distant from their father, disrespected him in his final years and mocked his memory by wearing a garish tartan bonnet on the day of his funeral.Central London County Court heard that Gowerdhan's earlier 2015 will had split his money four ways between the families of Harish, Bani and Gowerdhan's two other children.But under the 2023 will, driving instructor Harish and his wife got the lot, leaving Bani and the rest of the family empty-handed.Nina Roberts, for Harish, explaining the logic behind the new will, told Judge Jonathan Cohen that Gowerdhan had visited Harish 'every day' after moving to Slough from Southall in 2010.She said that despite trusting and relying on his younger son, Gowerdhan continued to live an independent life – even visiting India for two to four months a year.But despite Bani's claims that he visited his father, who had been a surveyor before working at Heathrow Airport, up to four times per year, Ms Roberts said evidence indicated that 'the last time he visited his father was in January 2022'.She also highlighted evidence from Gowerdhan's mobile phone log, which she said showed no calls from Bani between February 2022 and his father's death.She added: 'It is therefore submitted that the court can conclude that the last visit from Bani was nearly two years before the 2023 will.' Bani Verma has been accused by his brother Harish's lawyers of having 'disrespected' their father by wearing a tartan Tam O'Shanter hat on the day of his funeral Harish's wife Paramjit Kaur Verma is seen here outside Central London County Court after hearing in dispute over the will of her father-in-law Gowerdhan Dass Bani's lawyers are accusing Harish of plundering their father's money before he died, including using £18,750 to buy this Jaguar Land Rover car pictured for his wifeHarish and his wife had become the anchor for Gowerdhan during the last two years of his life, argued the barrister.And the solicitor who officiated during the final will process had recorded 'lack of contact' as the driving force behind him cutting Bani out, the court also heard.Ms Roberts also said Bani showed 'disrespect' for their father both during his life and even afterwards, pointing out he donned 'inappropriate' Scottish headgear on the day of his funeral while 'laughing and smiling as if it were a wedding'.She said: 'It is submitted that his actions since the deceased's death call into question the credibility of Bani's evidence.'On the day of the funeral, Bani wore a Scottish tartan Tam O' Shanter hat to Harish's home.'This was disrespectful to the deceased since neither of them have Scottish heritage, Ms Roberts told the court.She said: 'It is submitted that this behaviour demonstrates the level of respect Bani had for the deceased in his lifetime.'But Bani's barrister rejected the claims, telling the judge that Harish had cut him off from contact with their father in his final years.Mr Buston said: 'Bani Verma contends that, during the material period, the deceased was elderly, frail and was isolated by (Harish) and (his wife), who have taken control over his finances and in the latest round of bank statements disclosed appeared to have made repeated and significant withdrawals / transfers / payments from the deceased's accounts, running them down.'In short, Bani says the deceased was vulnerable and was exploited by Harish, who over time made himself joint account holder to the deceased's accounts and shut the deceased off from friends and family and had a hand in the creation of the 2023 will.'Mr Buston also claimed Harish exerted 'undue influence' over the pensioner and transferred 'streams' of cash from his dad's accounts.Despite Harish's insistence that he did not control his father's finances, Mr Buston said this was 'difficult to reconcile' with multiple cash transfers involving a 'substantial amount of the deceased's money'.He pinpointed seven specific cash transfers, totalling around £41,000, made to Harish or his family, which he claimed called for an explanation.These are said to have included £18,750 paid into Harish's account to buy a Jaguar Land Rover 'subsequently said to have been gifted to Paramjit'.Other non-specific amounts of cash originating from Gowerdhan were spent on Harish's 'family travel, celebrations, food and gifts', alleged the barrister.As Gowerdhan grew increasingly old and frail, he was also gradually 'isolated' from Bani and his wider family by Harish, claimed Mr Buston - adding that Harish led their father to wrongly believe his older son had 'abandoned' him.Mr Buston said: 'In the present case, the court is invited to infer that the account allegedly given by the deceased that Bani and other members of the family had ceased contact with or abandoned him, did not reflect the true history of the family relationships.'It was contradicted by the evidence of continuing visits, telephone contact, and family occasions.'Rejecting claims that Harish genuinely believed that his brother had cut off contact with his dad, the barrister continued: 'The 2015 will divided the estate between the principal branches of the family.'The 2023 will excluded those said to have abandoned the deceased and conferred the entire residue upon Harish and his wife.'Harish also had both the opportunity and a substantial financial motive to poison the deceased's mind.'The court is accordingly invited to find, on the balance of probabilities and upon strong and cogent evidence, that Harish deliberately or recklessly promoted a false account of abandonment and estrangement; that the account poisoned the deceased's mind against Bani and other natural beneficiaries; and that it materially caused the execution of the 2023 will.'Ms Roberts said Harish denies inducing his father to 'falsely believe that Bani did not call or visit' – denying claims of 'fraudulent calumny' by her client.Gowerdhan had been mentally sharp in his last years and knew what he was doing when he signed off his last will, she said, adding that there was no question of Harish trying to isolate him.Ms Roberts told the court: 'The deceased was a jolly, sociable man who had a close relationship with his youngest son, as demonstrated by their involvement in each other's lives, including financial transactions dating back to the joint purchase of a property in India in the 1990s.'Whilst Bani may have expected an inheritance as the son of the deceased, this does not lead to Harish having coerced his father into making the 2023 will.'After two days in court, the judge adjourned the case in order for the parties to put in more evidence, with the case set to resume later this month.