New Delhi, Jan. 16 -- The Delhi high court has refused a plea by Natasha Oberoi, daughter of late hotelier P.R.S. Oberoi, to send her dispute with family members over her father's estate to arbitration.

Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav, in a 15 January order released on Friday, ruled that disputes involving Wills, inheritance, and family succession cannot be decided by private arbitrators and must be settled by civil courts.

The court also noted that Natasha, who is the managing director of Oberoi Hotels Pvt. Ltd, but not a shareholder, cannot rely on the arbitration clause in the company's Articles of Association.

The case arises from a deepening rift in the Oberoi family following the death of P.R.S. Oberoi, popularly known as "Biki...