Wailing wall

Qatar Consulate at loggerheads with society after latter accuses them of damaging assets in lobby worth Rs 2 cr

A broken wall at Mumbai's priciest commercial real estate hub has become the cause of a growing fracas between the Qatar Consulate and a high-profile co-operative housing society.

The Bajaj Bhawan Owners Premises Co-Op Society Ltd at Nariman Point has accused the consulate of damaging assets, murals, sculptures, walls and the lobby of the Bajaj Bhawan Society during modification work. It has estimated the damage to be worth Rs 2 crore.

Residents of the society also alleged that 20 consulate employees destroyed an Arzan Khambatta sculpture in the lobby and have called for a press conference tomorrow. The consulate that has its office on the ground floor of the building has denied the allegations.

False allegations

Mohammed Anwar Mahmood, chief Qatari affairs officer and spokesperson for the Qatar consulate, said, "The allegations levied on us are baseless. We haven't damaged anything. We carried out the modification for security reasons, as His Excellency Saleh Bin Ali AL Jaber, was at the Oberoi Hotel when terrorists struck on 26/11."

The Consulate wrote a letter to the police commissioner on May 18, stating their security concerns and that they will be opening a new door on the Consulate wall. The new door is exclusively for the Consul General and Qatari delegates and diplomats visiting the consulate. Anwar added, "We had obtained necessary permission from the BMC and also have a structural engineers's report that establishes no damage to the structure of the building."

NOC not given

Anwar said they approached the society in writing and had met the office bearers for a No Objection Certificate before starting work, but were not provided the same. The government of the State of Qatar owns a 10,000 sq feet property on the ground floor of the building since 1977.