Mumbai, April 23: Fortis Healthcare on Monday said Hero Enterprise Investment Office and the Burman Family Office have extended the validity of their 'improved binding offer' till May 4, 2018.

According to a BSE filing, "all other terms and conditions of the improved offer remain unchanged".

On April 19, Sunil Kant Munjal of Hero Enterprise as well as Anand Burman and Mohit Burman of the Burman family approached the Board of Fortis Healthcare with a binding offer to invest Rs 1,500 crore directly in the company.

The 'improved binding offer' replaced their original offer made to the Board on April 12, 2018 to invest Rs 1,250 crore directly in Fortis Healthcare.

The development comes days after Fortis Healthcare disclosed that it has received "an unsolicited non-binding expression of interest (EoI)" from KKR-backed Radiant Life Care with "a proposal for making investment and or re-structuring the company subject to certain conditions as mentioned in the offer letter".

As per an earlier BSE filing, Radiant Life Care has made an offer to buy a 26 per cent stake in the company at a price of Rs 126 per share, excluding the SRL Diagnostics' business.

Fortis Healthcare had earlier revealed that it has received a "supplemental proposal" from IHH Healthcare Berhad.

Besides IHH, Fortis Healthcare has received "an unsolicited non-binding expression of interest (EoI)" from Fosun Health Holdings for a possible due diligence.

Fosun Health Holdings has made an offer of a "primary infusion at a price up to Rs 156 per share, subject to due diligence to be completed within three weeks, up to a total investment of $350 million" including a preliminary investment of up to Rs 100 crore.

However, Fortis Healthcare on March 27 had announced plans to demerge its hospitals business (Fortis Hospitals) into Manipal Hospital Enterprises Private Ltd (Manipal Hospitals).

The plan envisages the sale of the company's 20 per cent stake in SRL Ltd to Manipal Hospitals.

On last Thursday, Fortis Healthcare decided to constitute an "expert advisory committee" to evaluate all binding proposals for fund infusion. The panel is led by Deepak Kapoor, Former Chairman and CEO of Price Waterhouse Coopers, India and has been "requested to provide a report of its recommendation to the Board, by April 26, 2018".

The company has named Renuka Ramnath and Lalit Bhasin as members of an "expert advisory committee". Ramnath is a former MD and CEO of ICICI Venture and Bhasin, President, Society of Indian Law Firms and Managing Partner, Bhasin & Co.

The panel is likely to meet by April 25 to decide on the merger or buy offers.

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London, Nov 22: A bomb disposal squad deployed as a “precaution” to the South Terminal of Gatwick Airport concluded an investigation into a "security incident" on Friday after making a “suspect package” safe.

The South Terminal of Gatwick Airport, the UK's second busiest airport after Heathrow, which was briefly shut owing to the incident reopened following the incident.

The Gatwick is around 45 km south of London.

Two people detained during the enquiries have since been allowed to continue their journey as the airport was opened.

“Police have concluded their investigation into a report of a suspect package at Gatwick Airport. Officers from the EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) team made the package safe, and the airport has been handed back to its operator,” Sussex Police said in an updated statement.

“Two people detained while enquiries were ongoing have subsequently been allowed to continue their journeys. There will remain an increased police presence in the area to assist with passengers accessing the South Terminal for onward travel,” the statement added.

Earlier on Friday, the incident caused severe disruption at the busy airport’s South Terminal, while the North Terminal of Gatwick Airport remained unaffected.

“Police were called to the South Terminal at Gatwick Airport at 8.20 am on Friday (November 22) following the discovery of a suspected prohibited item in luggage,” a Sussex Police statement said.

“To ensure the safety of the public, staff and other airport users, a security cordon has been put in place whilst the matter is dealt with. As a precaution, an EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) team is being deployed to the airport. This is causing significant disruption and some roads around the South Terminal have been closed. We’d advise the public to avoid the area where possible,” it said.

Footage on social media taken outside the airport showed crowds of frustrated travellers being moved away from the terminal building.

Gatwick said it was working hard to resolve the issue.

“A large part of the South Terminal has been evacuated as a precaution while we continue to investigate a security incident," the airport said in a social media post.

“Passengers will not be able to enter the South Terminal while this is ongoing. The safety and security of our passengers and staff remain our top priority. We are working hard to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.”

Train and bus services that serve the airport were also impacted while the police carried out their inquiries.

In an unrelated incident in south London on Friday morning, the US Embassy area in Nine Elms by the River Thames was the scene of a controlled explosion by Scotland Yard dealing with what they believe may have been a “hoax device”.

“We can confirm the 'loud bang' reported in the area a short time ago was a controlled explosion carried out by officers,” the Metropolitan Police said in a post on X.

“Initial indications are that the item was a hoax device. An investigation will now follow. Some cordons will remain in place for the time being but the majority of the police response will now be stood down,” it added.