Tehsildar asks both sides to vacate disputed flat

Zarina Banoo seen pulling up supplies from the eighth-floor flat. File pic

The son and daughter-in-law of elderly couple Zarina Banoo Pirani, 67, and Shaban Ali, 75, who are being held hostage inside their Vasai flat by their rogue tenant since September this year, heaved a sigh of relief as the Vasai tehsildar directed both parties to vacate the house within seven days.

Zarina and her bed-ridden husband were confined to the bedroom of the 2BHK house at Mirchandani Garden IRIS housing society in Vasai by their tenant of eight years, Raj Sharma, who is allegedly trying to usurp the property.

The Vasai tehsildar's December 27 read: "Both parties need to vacate the flat within seven days and the same flat will be under the custody of Manikpur police until further orders are given by a competent authority." The housing society has been ordered to put up a copy of the order on its notice board.

Talking to mid-day, Rashmi Pirani, Zarina's daughter-in-law said, "I am thankful to mid-day. We received the order copy on Saturday and we will vacate the flat in the stipulated time."

On the other hand, Sharma said, "I have received the order copy but I am taking legal opinion before moving out." Manikpur police station's senior police inspector, Rajendra Kamble said, "If either party refuses to vacate the flat within seven days, we will forcibly evict them after informing the tehsildar." The deadline for vacating the flat is January 3.

Since confining them, Sharma has not allowed the couple's son Salim to enter the house to help the couple with food, water, medicine and other supplies despite instructions from the Manikpur police. The couple has been forced to send supplies through a rope that Zarina pulls up from the window of the eighth-floor flat.

The tehsildar passed the order after Manikpur police wrote to them highlighting the sensitivity of the matter. Sharma paid rent to the couple only for the first year after he moved in in 2011. A confrontation on September 24 led to Zarina being assaulted by Sharma with a knife. In addition, the tenant also filed trespass cases against neighbours and society officer bearers who tried to help Zarina during the scuffle.

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