The letter further stated that the staff be told that the chairman has issued these instructions because Viraf and Armaity were "acting against the interests of the trust and the BPP".
The Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP), which has been facing troubling times lately due to frequent infights, is once again in news. This time, present BPP chairman Yazdi Desai has raked up a controversy by asking chief executive officer (CEO) Cawas Panthaky to fire two staffers and not give any information to two of the trustees.
The CEO in the BPP looks after its administrative matters. In a letter to Panthaky, Desai has stated that he has barred all BPP staffers from "giving any information or documents" to BPP trustees Armaity Tirandaz and Viraf Mehta, "unless approved by the board". The letter further stated that the staff be told that the chairman has issued these instructions because Viraf and Armaity were "acting against the interests of the trust and the BPP".
Not long ago, the community that prides itself in etiquette witnessed a new low when former BPP chairperson Dinshaw Mehta and present trustee Kersi Randeria came to blows. BPP, the apex body of the Parsi community, is an over 300-year-old public charitable trust. It is one of the biggest landlords in Mumbai, with ownership of 5,500 flats and other immovable properties, spread over approximately 100 acres. It also provides for various schemes for the Parsi Irani Zoroastrians.
"I got to know about the letter last week. I will be taking up the issue in the meeting. He (chairman) is trying to kill transparency in BPP functioning. He cannot give instructions to another staffer or trustee. Two people have been instructed to be fired. I have told the CEO that the matter was between him and Desai, and that they have to sort it out. We are not in school. We are a public charitable trust. Everybody is working for the interest of the trust," said Mehta. Tirandaz did not answer calls from dna.
When contacted by dna, Desai said, "Viraf and Armaity are acting against the interests of the trust and the beneficiaries. They are sharing all the information with Dinshaw Mehta and Munchi Cama, who are misusing it to put hurdles before this new board. Many housing and property files and papers are going missing. That is why I issued the instructions to protect the trust."
He added the sentence about the firing was in good humour as "I share an excellent rapport with the CEO and the two staffers mentioned. None of them are offended. We will definitely move to remove Mehta as he clearly misused his position as trustee to tamper with evidence and save his father Dinshaw from going to jail for cheating and defrauding the trust. It is better to take preventive action and not share information with Viraf and Armaity. Better to be safe than sorry."
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