Vasai Parsi Punchayat Beneficiaries Seek Justice Against Misappropriations And Falsities

On the morning of 11th June 2017, many residents of twin colonies under The Vasai Taluka Parsi Punchayat Charitable Trust received a Whatsapp message containing a link for article Parsi Darshan printed in Mumbai Samachar. This message was forwarded to the residents, by Mr. Ruzbe Dupetawalla, who along with his mother Mrs. Maharukh Dupetawalla (mis)manages this small Trust. We, the undersigned beneficiaries, were flabbergasted by the mention of two names who according to Mr. Dinshaw Mehta, the author of Parsi Darshan, were allotted the flats despite being ineligible; Mr. Khushru Dandiwalla and Mr. Eric Bacha. Both of them were residents of the colony under The Vasai Taluka Parsi Punchayat Charitable Trust which is managed by Mr. Ruzbe Dupetawalla and his mother Mrs. Maharukh Dupetwalla. Mr. Ruzbe Dupetawalla is a sworn supporter of Mr. Dinshaw Mehta.

It was then we had bells ringing in our head regarding the purpose of circulating the news article. After checking the link we decided that it was our moral responsibility to let the community members know the truth behind both the allotments and also expose the connection between Mr. Dinshaw Mehta and Mr. Ruzbe Dupetwalla.

Mr. Ruzbe Dupetawalla and his mother Mrs. Maharukh Dupetawalla made themselves life time Trustees of the Vasai Taluka Parsi Punchayet Trust in the year 2010 without the knowledge of the community members and beneficiaries. Since then they have been running the Trust as their private business harassing licensees/beneficiaries asking for donations before renewing L&L agreements, increasing License fees from Rs. 1,750/- to Rs. 2850/- per month which is steep hike of 63%, filing frivolous eviction cases against licensees/beneficiaries who oppose them… the list is endless. Fed up with their autocratic behavior, few of us beneficiaries filed a case against Mr. Ruzbe Dupetawalla and his mother Mrs. Maharukh Dupetawalla under section 41D at the Honorable Charity Commissioner’s office at Worli. As a counter blast to this application, Mr. Dupetawalla filed eviction cases against the applicants in the 41D case and also against those who supported the applicants to deter us from opposing them.

Since, most of us are not financially sound hence we approached BPP the apex body of our community and narrated our plight to them. It was Mr. Yazdi Desai along with Mr. Kersi Randeria, Mr. Noshir Dadrawalla and Mr. Zarir Bhathena decided to support us and see that we are not rendered homeless. In the beginning, even Mr. Viraf D. Mehta and Mrs. Tirandaz showed us signs of help and were vocal about the misdeeds of the Dupettawalla’s and assured to support us, but then to the best of their knowledge, they just withdrew. Due to majority of the BPP trustees supporting us Mr. Ruzbe Dupetawalla ran helter-skelter because he knew his days were numbered and in order to save himself he took support of Mr. Dinshaw Mehta. When we met Mr. Dinshaw Mehta couple of times and told him about the atrocities of Mr. Ruzbe Dupetawalla, he blankly said on our face…”ey Trustee che ey kai bhi kari sakech”(he is a Trustee, he can do whatever he likes). It is then we understood that Mr. Mehta is supporting Mr. Dupetawalla. He also told us, why have you come to me, you guys were totally in for the 4 of them (4 as in referring to Mr. Yazdi Desai Mr. Kersi Randeria, Mr. Noshir Dadrawalla and Mr. Zarir Bhathena)

Now we would like to clarify why were Mr. Khushru Dandiwalla and Mr. Eric Bacha allotted the houses by the BPP and how their name specifically appeared in Mr. Mehta’s list of ineligible allottees. Mr. Khushru Dandiwalla has been allotted the flat on medical grounds. He has chronic diabetes, due to which he cannot see properly. Because of high sugar levels he has lost vision in one of his eyes. He works at Godrej and had to travel all the way to Vikhroli from Vasai in such precarious health conditions. Apart from this he had to travel to Mumbai for his checkups regularly which was quite straining. Mr. Khushru Dandiwalla’s wife had to go to drop him to Vasai Station at 03:45 in the early morning and get him seated in the train and then his friends used to guide him till his office in Vikhroli changing 2 local trains. Mr. Khushru Dandiwalla was so unwell that he spent around 15 days in Lilavati Hospital on Ventilator fighting for his life due to severe Pericardial Effusion and was put on Dialysis. Mr. Mehta aren’t you human enough to understand someone’s plight?

Mr. Eric Bacha was allotted the flat by BPP because he was on the top of the merit list prepared by BPP to allot a house for newly weds. This list was finalized when Mr. Dinshaw Mehta was the Chairman of the previous board. He was only granted fitment of the flat by the current board of Trustees based on the approved list prepared by the previous board.

It would be interesting for the readers to know that Mr. Ruzbe Dupetwalla has already filed eviction proceedings against Mr. Khushru Dandiwalla despite his name appearing in newspapers as an allottee in the list issued by BPP. Eviction proceedings have been filed against Eric Bacha in January this year. In both cases Mr. Dupetawalla has neither offered to withdraw the cases nor he has returned the deposits of both the gentlemen. 

We have few questions for Mr. Dinshaw Mehta. We hope he gives us truthful and sincere replies:

• Mr. Mehta you are quite vocal against BPP since they introduced a hike in service charges. On the other hand when Ruzbe Dupetawalla hiked the License fees from Rs. 1,750/- to Rs. 2,500/- plus applicable taxes. You supported him. You told us Ruzbe can hike the license fees as he wants without justification. Why this double standard Mr. Mehta?
• In Parsi Darshan you questioned about Mr. Yazdi Desai staying in a 3 BHK flat alone with his wife without a license. (We understand that this flat has been allotted under the Security Deposit Scheme and hence, is not free of cost). Mr. Mehta, Mr. Dupetawalla is staying in the Trust flat without a license. Not only that, after becoming trustees he and has mother sold their ownership flat and moved into the Trust premises and if that was not enough they allotted themselves flats on the same floors of adjacent wings and then broke the wall between the two flats of the two wings and made it as one flat. They also made structural changes in the flats according to their needs. Mr. Mehta we had informed you about this abuse of power by Mr. Dupetawalla also. So, Mr. Mehta will you ask Mr. Dupetawalla and his mother to vacate the Trust flats and undo the structural changes made in their respective flats out of their pockets? We are sure that Mr. Desai has not indulged in any such malpractices as your supporter Mr. Dupetawalla has.
• Mr. Mehta, in your letter you have tried to skillfully bat for your son Mr. Viraf Mehta and Mrs. Armaity Tirandaz. But are you aware that because of both of them refusing to sign the Leave and License agreement papers, Mr. Arastoo Irani, a resident of Dahanu who was allotted a flat at Navroze Baug due to his galloping cancer, died without even staying a day in the flat he was rightfully allotted? Has the humanity inside your son and Mrs. Tirandaz, died? Are egos more important than someone’s life?

Mr. Dinshaw Mehta, up till now, we at Vasai, were least bothered about your fight with the four members of the current board of Trustees and your rants against them but its high time the community knows about positive side of these four noble souls. If they had not supported us, your devotee Mr. Dupetawalla would have succeeded in throwing us and our families on the road.

From

1. Farzan Asundaria
2. Vispy Ichhaporia
3. Cyrus Dangor
4. Hosang Marfatia
5. Sharookh Wadia
6. Tehmul Asundaria
7. Frenny Khambata
8. Navil Hakim
9. Neslin Sukhadia
10. Rohinton Bhathena
11. Firuzi Bhagat
12. Shahrukh Bhathena
13. Khubcher Mehta
14. Audokht Master
15. Aban Darbari
16. Maneck Jijina
17. Hoshang Ichhaporia
18. Dinaz Bulsara
19. Hector Daruwalla
20. Eric Ambapardiwalla
21. Homi Sidhwa
22. Mahernosh Jivasa
23. Porus Jhoki
24. Viraf Jhoki
25. Khusrshed Anklesaria
26. Daulat Bhot
27. Sarosh Patel
28. Roshan Dangor
29. Hoshang Dangor