Woman with over dozen pets accuses neighbour of wanting her thrown out
Kharghar woman who lives on rent complains of harassment to police; neighbour says he has no problem with the tenant, but wants animals to go due to foul smell, barking and sleepless nights.
A woman who has 16 pet cats and two dogs in her rented apartment in Navi Mumbai has accused her neighbour of harassment, after he objected to the pets and approached the builder, allegedly to force her to vacate the premises.
In a complaint to the Kharghar police, Twinkle Shivdasani, 30, who works for a private firm and has rented a flat in Swaraj Imperial, Kharghar, for the past two months, has alleged that her neighbour, Deepak Mehta, has tried everything in his capacity to get her to vacate.
“I love animals and have a registered trust by the name of Trufle Animal Shelter Trust. While my flat owner does not have a problem, the neighbour, Deepak Mehta, has complained to the builders who are putting pressure on the owner to kick me out. I have only 15 cats and two dogs, and not 150 as alleged by Mehta,” Shivdasani said.
In his complaint to the builders last month, Mehta, who is 64 and retired, alleged that Shivdasani has over 150 animals, including dogs, puppies, 10 cats, rabbits and pigeons, and said he suspects her of being in the business of breeding and trading pets. “I am a senior citizen and have been passing sleepless nights due to the foul smell and barking. Please ask the owner or tenant to remove the animals from the flat, as it is hazardous to health,” Mehta’s letter read.
When Mirror approached Mehta, regarding his allegtion of over 150 animals, he said, “I have never entered the flat as she does not allow anybody in. But can you imagine having a neighbour with that many pets? I am tired of the situation.”
Following Mehta’s complaint, Ajay Marathe of the Animal Welfare Board of India visited Shivdasani’s house. “When I went there I found that the house was spacious and the pets were being taken care of, so I did not pursue the complaint. They have a 24-hour house-help specially to take care of the pets. A few cats were suffering from skin diseases, but they were also being taken care of,” Marathe told Mirror.
Regarding Mehta’s complaint, Senior Police Inspector P M Patil of Kharghar Police Station said, “Deepak Mehta had approached us and we registered a non-cognizable offence. We told him he should approach a court.” As for Shivdasani’s complaint, Patil said, “We are looking into it.”
The owner of the flat, Naval Gupta, was not available for comment, but his wife told Mirror that they were being pressured by the builders. “They called us to their office and showed us a clause in the agreement saying that more than two pets are not allowed, and that the penalty would run into lakhs. We are two really old people and are caught in the crossfire between the stubborn tenant and the neighbour. When we let out the place, we were told that Shivdasani would be getting along a few pets, but not these many.”
When Mirror contacted Swaraj Builders, its vice president, Pari Mehta, said that there was a signature campaign by some residents, and since the society hadn’t yet been formed, they had to look into the matter. “We received a complaint signed by 10 of our clients. It’s our duty to address the problem. I too have pets, but a tenant can’t have a zoo,” Pari Mehta said.
A woman who has 16 pet cats and two dogs in her rented apartment in Navi Mumbai has accused her neighbour of harassment, after he objected to the pets and approached the builder, allegedly to force her to vacate the premises.
In a complaint to the Kharghar police, Twinkle Shivdasani, 30, who works for a private firm and has rented a flat in Swaraj Imperial, Kharghar, for the past two months, has alleged that her neighbour, Deepak Mehta, has tried everything in his capacity to get her to vacate.
Mehta, in turn, says he has no problem with the people living in the flat, but insists that the pets must go. He complained to the Kharghar police and the Animal Welfare Board, and as the building’s society has not yet been formed, he approached the developers, Swaraj Builders, asking them to ensure his neighbour got rid of the animals.
“I love animals and have a registered trust by the name of Trufle Animal Shelter Trust. While my flat owner does not have a problem, the neighbour, Deepak Mehta, has complained to the builders who are putting pressure on the owner to kick me out. I have only 15 cats and two dogs, and not 150 as alleged by Mehta,” Shivdasani said.
In his complaint to the builders last month, Mehta, who is 64 and retired, alleged that Shivdasani has over 150 animals, including dogs, puppies, 10 cats, rabbits and pigeons, and said he suspects her of being in the business of breeding and trading pets. “I am a senior citizen and have been passing sleepless nights due to the foul smell and barking. Please ask the owner or tenant to remove the animals from the flat, as it is hazardous to health,” Mehta’s letter read.
When Mirror approached Mehta, regarding his allegtion of over 150 animals, he said, “I have never entered the flat as she does not allow anybody in. But can you imagine having a neighbour with that many pets? I am tired of the situation.”
Following Mehta’s complaint, Ajay Marathe of the Animal Welfare Board of India visited Shivdasani’s house. “When I went there I found that the house was spacious and the pets were being taken care of, so I did not pursue the complaint. They have a 24-hour house-help specially to take care of the pets. A few cats were suffering from skin diseases, but they were also being taken care of,” Marathe told Mirror.
Regarding Mehta’s complaint, Senior Police Inspector P M Patil of Kharghar Police Station said, “Deepak Mehta had approached us and we registered a non-cognizable offence. We told him he should approach a court.” As for Shivdasani’s complaint, Patil said, “We are looking into it.”
The owner of the flat, Naval Gupta, was not available for comment, but his wife told Mirror that they were being pressured by the builders. “They called us to their office and showed us a clause in the agreement saying that more than two pets are not allowed, and that the penalty would run into lakhs. We are two really old people and are caught in the crossfire between the stubborn tenant and the neighbour. When we let out the place, we were told that Shivdasani would be getting along a few pets, but not these many.”
When Mirror contacted Swaraj Builders, its vice president, Pari Mehta, said that there was a signature campaign by some residents, and since the society hadn’t yet been formed, they had to look into the matter. “We received a complaint signed by 10 of our clients. It’s our duty to address the problem. I too have pets, but a tenant can’t have a zoo,” Pari Mehta said.
