9 Managing committee members of the Happpy Jivan Housing Society in Sai Nagar, Vasai (W) got a rude shock when the Manickpur police (Vasai) arrested them for objecting to a flat sale to a member of the Muslim community.
The flat owner Mrs.Kantaben Patel (55 yrs) wanted to sell her first floor 2 bhk flat to a Muslim glass trader by the name of Vikaar Ahmed Khan for 48 lakhs.He had paid 1 lakh as token and then asked the society for an NOC to register the Sale agreement and for a bank loan.
The society members passed a resolution on the letterhead of the Society that the sale to a Muslim will \’spoil the atmosphere\’ of the society. They urged Patel to sell the flat to someone from the Hindu Community instead.
When all attempts by the owner to reason with the committee members failed, she approached the police and registered an FIR under section 295A (Deliberate and malicious acts intended to hurt the religious feelings of a person). The Police recorded the statements of the office bearers on Sunday. Immediately after that the Society members agreed to give the NOC without any preconditions to Khan. The members also agreed to give a written apology to Khan.
The 39 yr old building has 9 gujarati families in all and the Kantaben\’s immediate neighbours are all Gujarati vegetarians.There are also 2 families from the Muslim community staying in the society but they were unaware of the resolution passed by the office bearers in their absence.One Punjabi and One Maharashtrian family refused to sign the resolution.Owners of the 9 shops were also unaware of the resolution.
The Society comprises of 16 Flats and 9 shops.
This case should serve as a warning to Society office bearers who impose illegal conditions on flat owners on the basis of a persons religion or status.
Watch NDTV video report here
