Mumbai: ‘Granddaughter can’t go near 103-year-old’

Cops help Sumitra Sethi down the stairs, at the magistrate court

A Tribunal has directed Marine Drive police to provide security to 103-year-old Sumitra Sethi, who had sought an order against her granddaughter, alleging that she was trying to forcibly enter her house. Namrata Kapoor, the granddaughter, has also been ordered to stay away from the centenarian.

Sumitra had filed an appeal at the tribunal for maintenance and welfare of parents and senior citizens, after a magistrate court's mixed order on the granddaughter's domestic violence case filed against her (Sumitra). The court in July ruled that Namrata and her now-deceased mother Urvashi cannot enter Sumitra's house. It also directed Sumitra to pay monthly maintenance to Urvashi.

The tribunal upheld the court's July order and directed Namrata not to enter Sumitra's Marine Drive residence. It also ordered her to refrain from insulting, filing false complaints, intimidating, abusing or assaulting Sumitra.

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The background

Police had last year booked Sethi, her son Viney and daughter-in-law Nabla Sethi for allegedly not letting Urvashi Kapoor, Sumitra's daughter, enter the 103-year-old's residence in Marine Drive. Urvashi's daughter Namrata approached the cops and even filed a domestic violence (DV) complaint against them.

Sumitra on July 4, 2022, filed an application before the tribunal, alleging that Urvashi and Namrata were physically and mentally harassing her and trying to forcibly enter her house. She sought restrictions on their entry and police protection. Kalyanrao Pandhare, the presiding officer at the tribunal, heard the matter between August 2022 and January 2023. Urvashi died during the proceedings, on October 18, 2022, which made Namrata the sole opponent to Sumitra's plea.

In her reply, Namrata denied the assault allegations and accused her uncle (Viney) and aunt (Nabla) of hatching a plan to grab her mother's share in the property, and even torturing Urvashi. However, the tribunal recently ruled in Sumitra's favour. Sumitra had also sought Rs 10 lakh as compensation from Namrata for harassment and torture, but the tribunal didn't entertain this plea.

Fair order: Opponent

"It's a fair order. Our client won't use foul language and not file false cases, just as she hasn't ever. Our client was in fact, thrown out of her home along with her now-deceased mother by her uncle and aunt," Advocate Varsha Bhogle, for Namrata, told mid-day. Advocate Himanshu Marathkar, for Sumitra, said, "The tribunal has passed the order in our favour on the basis of merits and did not get intimidated by the tactics used by the granddaughter. They have granted urgently needed police protection to Sumitra Sethi. She was being verbally abused, assaulted and victimised by her granddaughter who wanted to bulldoze the centenarian out of the way and make an unjust grab for family properties. The tribunal has understood the facts and granted reliefs based on the facts. The tribunal has also sternly reprimanded the granddaughter and asked her not to trespass on their Marine Drive flat or harass or even talk to Sumitra again."

July 4
Day in 2022 Sumitra Sethi moved tribunal