Land allotment: Farmer moves Sessions Court against Bombay Parsi Panchayat

Rohinton Taraporewala (65), a member of the Parsi community and a resident of Dahanu in Thane district, who had earlier moved the Bombay High Court against the Bombay Parsi Panchayat (BPP) for non-allotment of flats in Panthaki Baug in Andheri, on Thursday moved the Sessions Court claiming that BPP was guilty of breach of trust and cheating to accommodate its members in houses meant for 'poor Parsis'.

Taraporewala first filed the complaint before the Magistrate court, which dismissed it following a police report that considered the complaint as civil in nature. Taraporewala, a farmer, has now filed an appeal before the Sessions Court against this order.

In his complaint, Taraporewala mentioned names of certain members of the community who were allegedly allotted flats in Panthaki Baug despite their income exceeding Rs 50,000 per month, the criteria set by the Panchayat for allotment of houses to poor Parsis. The figure was later raised to Rs 90,000 per month while defining a 'poor Parsi'.

Taraporewala alleged that the BPP have wrongly introduced people by concealing their income bracket, and have claimed the houses allotted under the scheme.

BPP, which controls over 5,000 flats in the city, has over 45,000 Parsis registered under it. The Panchayat said, Taraporewala owned a 17 acre farm in Vangaon, Dahanu, with a two-storey bungalow spread over 2,000 square feet. The property was worth Rs 1.5 to 3 crore. Moreover, his tax returns showed income above Rs 90,000 per month and other assets and fixed deposits amounting to Rs 25 lakh.

The Panchayat chairman contended that Taraporewala had said he was not keeping well and was suffering from a heart ailment and diabetes because of which he wanted to settle down in Mumbai. He had cited lack of proper medical facilities in Dahanu.

Flats at Panthaki Baug in Andheri measure about 750 square feet and each one costs Rs 80 lakh. They are to be sold to the members of the community at one-fourth the market rate.

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