IHH Healthcare's subsidiary, Northern TK Venture Pte Ltd (NTK), has taken legal action against Daiichi Sankyo, filing a claim in Tokyo District Court seeking damages exceeding 20 billion Japanese yen.

The lawsuit alleges that Daiichi Sankyo's actions interfered with IHH's stake acquisition in Fortis Healthcare.

According to Fortis Healthcare's regulatory filing, NTK asserts that Daiichi Sankyo's alleged intervention led to substantial losses by obstructing open offers related to Fortis Healthcare and Fortis Malar Hospitals.

NTK also aims for an injunction to halt Daiichi Sankyo from making disparaging statements regarding the aforementioned open offers, the filing indicated, Economic Times reported.

IHH clarified, stating that NTK's claims against Daiichi Sankyo encompass various tort claims, including unlawful interference with business, conspiracy, malicious falsehood, and defamation under relevant laws.

In 2018, IHH secured a 31.17% stake in Fortis Healthcare through a preferential allotment, injecting Rs 4,000 crore in fresh capital.

However, the progress of the IHH-Fortis deal has encountered hurdles due to an ongoing legal dispute between Daiichi Sankyo and the former promoters of Fortis Healthcare.

The litigation has stymied the completion of the acquisition, marking a setback in the consolidation efforts within the healthcare sector.