Located on the outskirts of Solan, Anees Villa, which forms part of the 2,439 square metre landed property, first came into the spotlight when Rushdie filed a writ petition in the Himachal Pradesh High Court, staking claim to it in 1993. Tied over an ownership tangle between Rushdie and the Himachal Pradesh Government for almost five years, the villa was finally restored to the author through his counsel Vijay S T Shankerdass on November 15, 1997.

The bungalow is sans water and power. The connections have obviously been snapped due to lack of payment. Some electricswitches are missing and loose wires dangle dangerously from boards. The tale of neglect does not end here. It is better told by broken window panes and tiles, paint peeling off its outer walls, and some of the tin sheets which have got disjointed from the rafters. All these lend the place a shabby look. Worse still, it exposes the premises to the risk of leakage during rain and snow.

The hustle and bustle that ruled the bungalow when it was the official residence of the Additional District magistrate of Solan, is missing. Mercifully, the lawns lie in their former glory, but the flower beds that adorned the place until a few months ago, have vanished. Rushdie's counsel did appoint a chowkidar immediately after taking possession, but the villa wears a haunted look.

And Govind Ram insists that the villa has become haunted. A resident of Farah village of Mandi District, Govind Ram, who works in the canteen of a factory, lives in the bungalow along with his wife Vayasa Devi and his two little sons.With the water supply cut, the needs of Govind Ram and his family are met from a tap installed outside the building by the Municipal Council.

Narrating his experience, he told The Indian Express, ``I often hear sounds of footsteps, especially during the night, but none can be seen in and around the villa. I am convinced that the place has come to be occupied by evil spirits. Sometimes, stones are hurled at the villa, but there is no one around. One hears sounds of the knocking at the doors, and the doors opening and closing with nobody around. But you can't see anybody,'' says Govind Ram with a shiver. Initially, Govind Ram was living alone in the bungalow. ``But within a few days, I was scared out of my wits by all this and I decided to bring my wife from the native village to give me company,'' he elaborates. His wife, Vayasa Devi, shares her husband's views. ``I have also heard tapping of moving but invisible feet, and doors and windows suddenly opening and closing during the night. I have alsoheard dialogues between invisible persons in the bungalow at night,'' said Devi in a frightened squeak.

Interestingly, what the couple says is strongly contested by Additional District Magistrate S C Kalsotra who lived in the bungalow before it was handed over to Rushdie. ``I stayed in the bungalow for eight months, but never observed any such phenomenon. It was not haunted or under the influence of evil spirits,'' he asserted.

This statement is also supported by Dashrath Ram, an old water supply employee of the Municipal Council. He said that he lived in Anees Villa for three years, but never noticed what Govind says. Hardev Singh, an immediate neighbour and a relative of Govind Ram, told The Indian Express that he had been staying there for the last ten years, but has never seen any evidence of the bungalow being haunted.

Govind Ram has never met Rushdie's counsel, but he gets a salary of Rs 1700 per month either by cheque or money order. He was appointed on the recommendation of the thendeputy commissioner B S Nainta. He is ignorant about the fame enjoyed by his employer Salman Rushdie. Neither has he heard about any fatwa passed against him or about his controversial book Satanic Verses. All that he knows is that Rushdie lives somewhere in England. He denies having seen any piece of Rushdie's family heritage in the bungalow. He leaves Anees Villa early in the morning and returns only around 10 pm.

The nearest building to Anees Villa is the Deputy Commissioner's residence situated at a distance of nearly 60 feet. The other building is Shimal View Cottage and Government Forest Colony, each located at a distance of about 150 feet. Senior residents recall that there used to be a graveyard close to the villa during the pre-partition days.

Anees Villa had been purchased by Mohmad Uldin, grandfather of Rushdie, during the early forties. The property, after the Partition, was declared evacuee property and was subsequently transferred in the name of the Revenue Department, as itwas presumed that Maulvi Anees Ahmad, Rushdie's father, had left for Pakistan and never visited Solan for years. The bungalow was used for housing the office of the District Education Officer for several years and the State Education Department, paying rent to Maulvi Anees Ahmad through his counsel and in correspondence with him till his death in November, 1987. The property was gifted to Rushdie by his father in 1969.