Caretaker refuses to vacate bldg, irked society cuts power

Amarjeet Dhar Dwivedi, 44, and his family have spent the last 10 days in their basement house in complete darkness. The family has been living in Rohini's StarLight Co-operative and Group building for the last 14 years, where Dwivedi works as a caretaker. In July, the managing committee asked the family to vacate the premises, failing which it disconnected their power and water supply.

Dwivedi, however, has claimed that the society gave him no reason for the eviction notice. He said he had requested for some respite as it was mid-year and it would have been difficult to get his son, a Class XI student, admitted to some other school but all his pleas fell on deaf ears. His daughter is in college.

On August 24, electricity and the water supply to the house was cut. As the house is in the basement, it does not even receive natural light. To add to their woes, garbage was thrown in front of their house, Dwivedi said, adding that he made several complaints to the police but all in vain. Disappointed, he then knocked on the doors of the court, but there as well, his case was dismissed.

According to Dwivedi's counsel Prem Shankar Sharma, the case was dismissed on the grounds that it did not fall under the purview of this particular court and needed to be settled under the Societies Act by the managing committee of the society.

"This is a violation of human rights. My client has been living in the premises for the last 14 years and has not been given any reason for eviction. Now two members of managing committee have taken law in their hands. We are going to appeal to a higher court," he said.