Eight decades on, HC directs Maha govt to hand over two south Mumbai flats to 93-year-old owner
Mumbai (PTI): The Bombay High Court has directed the Maharashtra government to hand over two south Mumbai flats to their owner, a 93-year-old woman, putting an end to a property dispute that dragged on for eight decades.
The flats are situated on the first floor of Ruby Mansion in south Mumbai and measure 500 sq ft and 600 sq ft. On March 28, 1942, the building was requisitioned under the then Defence of India Act, which allowed the British rulers of the time to take possession of private properties.
A division bench of Justices R D Dhanuka and M M Sathaye in its order of May 4 noted that despite de-requisition orders passed in July 1946, the flats were never handed back to the owner Alice D'souza.
The properties are presently occupied by the legal heirs of a former government official.
D'souza in her petition had sought a direction to the Maharashtra government and the Collector of Mumbai to implement the July 1946 de-requisition orders and to hand over possession of the flats to her.
The nonagenarian's plea was opposed by the present occupants of the flat who are the legal heirs of one D S Laud, who was inducted into the premises in the 1940s under the requisition order. Laud was a government officer in the civil services department at the time.
D'souza in her petition claimed that the requisition order was withdrawn but still the possession of the flat was not handed over to the rightful owner. Possession of other flats in the building was handed back to its owners, the plea said.
The bench in its order noted that physical possession of the premises was never handed over to the owner (D'souza) and hence the de-requisition was not complete.
"We have no hesitation to hold that in the present case, the premises have continued to be under requisition," HC said.
The court directed the state government to "hand over vacant and peaceful possession of the subject matter premises to the petitioner owner (D'souza) after taking its possession from the present occupants within eight weeks".
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4 held for sexually assaulting woman, girl on moving bus after social media alert in UP's Agra
Agra (UP) (PTI): Four people were arrested, after a prompt response by police following a social media alert, for allegedly sexually assaulting a woman and a girl inside a moving bus here, officials said on Tuesday.
According to an official police statement, at 12:27 am on April 27, information was received on the social media platform X about an incident of sexual assault on a bus travelling from Kanpur to Ahmedabad, which was approaching Namner crossing in Agra.
Acting under the direction of Police Commissioner Deepak Kumar, the Agra Police social media team immediately alerted the Rakabganj police station within minutes and coordinated with the victims to confirm the incident and obtain the exact location, it stated.
Police teams launched intensive checking at Namner crossing and intercepted the bus as it reached the spot. The four accused involved in the incident were apprehended on the spot, and legal action was initiated against them, the statement said.
The police said the swift response and coordination between the social media team and field units ensured timely action, bringing relief to the victims and other passengers, who expressed gratitude towards the police, it added.
