80-yr-old harassed by son for property

According to the victim, the problem started after her husband died in 1995

Premlata Chavan, an 80-year-old resident of Shanti Campus Cooperative Society in Mulund had lost all hope of going back home after being evicted by her son and daughter-in-law. But after a nine-year long fight in the 27th Mulund Magistrate court she finally got a positive result on August 16 when the court gave verdict to convict her son and daughter-in-law.

However, her son Prakash and daughter-in-law Kalpana pleaded the court to be lenient and settled to sign a bond wherein they promised to treat their mother well. Hardly a month after signing the bond, the couple appealed at the Sessions court for a stay order on the lower court’s verdict claiming that the case made against them was false.

The  Sessions court on Monday adjourned their appeal and put the case for next hearing on October 19. “We have not received any notification from the Sessions court about the stay orders. Instead the case has been adjourned to next date in October 19,” said Premalata’s advocate Harshad Desai.

Premlata told DNA that the promise made by Prakash and Kalpana just remained on papers. She said, “After the court’s verdict though I got entry into the house, my life became miserable as they stopped giving me food and also stopped me from entering into the kitchen to prepare food for myself. They also harassed me mentally and physically.”

According to the Mulund Magistrate court, it changed its verdict after hearing the couple’s plea and asked them to sign a one year bond. A copy of the case papers with DNA states that “this is a fit case to give the benefit to the accused found guilty and to give benefit under section 3 & 4 of probation of offender’s Act and released accused on execution of bond of good behaviour without surety in order to meet the ends of justice. “The court also ordered a probation officer for supervision wherein the officer will do a surprise check of the family to enquire the well-being of Premlata,” said advocate Harshad Desai.

“When the torture became unbearable my two daughters started staying with me,” said Premalata. Her elder daughter Rashmi Pallav said, “Prakash was deliberately harassing their mother to get the entire property in his name.”

The victim said the harassment started after her husband died in 1995. She said, “Prakash and Kalpana persisted a lot to get the flat transferred in their names. When I didn’t do it, they started harassing me and finally I was evicted from my own house on August 1998 after I got ill.”

While Kalpana told DNA that the allegation against them is false. Kalpana said, “We are ready to take care of her but she is being brainstormed by her daughters who want a share of the property. We have appealed to the Sessions court.”