Sisters-in-law squabble over Marine Drive home
Trouble started in 2008, when a wall dividing the house into two ‘collapsed’; Marine Drive police say distress calls have become a routine affair, and counselling has had no effect.
A 68-year-old woman residing in Al Sabah Court at Marine Drive has approached the police several times in the last few weeks, alleging her sisterin-law’s family was trying to evict her and her 35-year-old mentally challenged son from the house.
The 1,800 sq ft house, on the ground floor, was divided into two, with a wall separating the two rooms and a kitchen occupied by the complainant, Malti Kapadia and her son, from the rest of the house where Malti’s sister-in-law Kalpana lives with her daughter Rani and son-in-law Nirmit Solanki.
The wall, however, couldn’t come up as Malti failed to get a letter from the Consulate of Kuwait – the caretaker of Al Sabah Court owned by the Royal Family of Kuwait – confirming that the wall inside the house existed in the first place.
On several occasions, constables from Marine Drive Police Station had been sent over to ensure both parties maintained peace, and Malti and Kalpana were also summoned to the police station, where senior officers advised them to settle the dispute amicably.
On Friday morning, Malti rushed to the police station alleging Kalpana had occupied her kitchen, through which she had access to the bathroom. “Kalpana and her daughter dumped their belongings in my kitchen and prevented me from entering. My son and me have no access to the kitchen and the toilet,” she said in her complaint. Two constables were sent to the house, but hostilities continued.
Late on Friday, when Mirror visited the house, Malti had shifted her kitchen to one of her rooms. “My son cannot walk or see. He lost his vision over the last few years. Now that we are unable to use the bathroom, I was forced to get a toilet chair for him,” Malti said.
She further said that Kalpana’s sonin-law had kept seven dogs in the house to scare them, and that these dogs were rescued last week by the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals after residents complained that the animals were being ill-treated.
When Mumbai Mirror approached Kalpana and her family for their version of events, Rani video-recorded this correspondent and the photojournalist inside the house. “We cannot speak anything. We have been misinterpreted time and again,” Rani said.
Her husband Nirmit said that the wall had collapsed on its own, but the family refused to answer questions regarding the property dispute or Malti’s allegations. “This is my space, you are trespassing,” Rani said when this reporter tried to get her version.
While Malti has approached her community organisations and trusts for a solution, the cops said that there was very little they could do, except rush a few constables to the house every time there was a complaint. Assistant Inspector Sudhir Dalvi from Marine Drive Police Station said, “On several occasions, we have had both factions at the police station for counselling sessions, but nothing has worked.”
A 68-year-old woman residing in Al Sabah Court at Marine Drive has approached the police several times in the last few weeks, alleging her sisterin-law’s family was trying to evict her and her 35-year-old mentally challenged son from the house.
The 1,800 sq ft house, on the ground floor, was divided into two, with a wall separating the two rooms and a kitchen occupied by the complainant, Malti Kapadia and her son, from the rest of the house where Malti’s sister-in-law Kalpana lives with her daughter Rani and son-in-law Nirmit Solanki.
The house is still in the name of Malti and Kalpana’s mother-in-law under the pugree system, and both parties have been claiming tenancy rights after the mother-in-law died. Trouble started in 2008, when the wall collapsed (Malti alleges it was razed at Kalpana’s behest), followed by a court case to get it rebuilt.
The wall, however, couldn’t come up as Malti failed to get a letter from the Consulate of Kuwait – the caretaker of Al Sabah Court owned by the Royal Family of Kuwait – confirming that the wall inside the house existed in the first place.
On several occasions, constables from Marine Drive Police Station had been sent over to ensure both parties maintained peace, and Malti and Kalpana were also summoned to the police station, where senior officers advised them to settle the dispute amicably.
On Friday morning, Malti rushed to the police station alleging Kalpana had occupied her kitchen, through which she had access to the bathroom. “Kalpana and her daughter dumped their belongings in my kitchen and prevented me from entering. My son and me have no access to the kitchen and the toilet,” she said in her complaint. Two constables were sent to the house, but hostilities continued.
Late on Friday, when Mirror visited the house, Malti had shifted her kitchen to one of her rooms. “My son cannot walk or see. He lost his vision over the last few years. Now that we are unable to use the bathroom, I was forced to get a toilet chair for him,” Malti said.
She further said that Kalpana’s sonin-law had kept seven dogs in the house to scare them, and that these dogs were rescued last week by the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals after residents complained that the animals were being ill-treated.
When Mumbai Mirror approached Kalpana and her family for their version of events, Rani video-recorded this correspondent and the photojournalist inside the house. “We cannot speak anything. We have been misinterpreted time and again,” Rani said.
Her husband Nirmit said that the wall had collapsed on its own, but the family refused to answer questions regarding the property dispute or Malti’s allegations. “This is my space, you are trespassing,” Rani said when this reporter tried to get her version.
While Malti has approached her community organisations and trusts for a solution, the cops said that there was very little they could do, except rush a few constables to the house every time there was a complaint. Assistant Inspector Sudhir Dalvi from Marine Drive Police Station said, “On several occasions, we have had both factions at the police station for counselling sessions, but nothing has worked.”
