UT orders eviction of ex-serviceman’s daughters-in-law

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 3

The UT Administration has ordered the eviction of 99-year-old retired Army officer Lt-Col Piara Singh’s both daughters-in-law from his house in Sector 27-B here. However, the administration refused to remove the tenants from the ex-serviceman’s property and referred him to approach the competent court of law for this purpose.

The development assumes significance as the Punjab and Haryana High Court had on December 6 issued a notice on the contempt-of-court petition filed by the ex-serviceman in this regard.

The order was passed by Additional Deputy Commissioner Rajiv Gupta while disposing of an application filed by the ex-serviceman under Sections 21 and 22 of the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007, seeking protection of life and property with directions to vacate his house.

In a 16-page order, a copy of which is with The Tribune, Gupta observed: “The applicant is a super senior citizen of 99 years of age and owner of the house in question. As per law provisions, it is duty of the State to ensure protection of life and property of the senior citizens”.

Allowing his application, the ADC ordered: “The application is allowed to the extent to evict his both daughters-in-law, whom he had made respondents in the application and their family members from his house”.

Gupta directed ex-serviceman’s both daughters-in-law Savitri and Promila Rani and their family members to vacate the applicant’s house within 30 days from the date of receipt of this order. “In case respondents fail to vacate the applicant’s house within the said period, the Station House Officer, Police Station, East, Chandigarh, will evict the respondents from the said house and send compliance report to this authority,” he further ordered.

The order further mentioned, “As far as other occupants/ tenants in the ex-serviceman’s house are concerned, this authority cannot entertain the aspect of tenancy. Therefore, the applicant is at liberty to approach the appropriate court in respect of the tenants in his house”.

The ADC also asked the SHO concerned to depute a Sub-Inspector with a woman constable to visit the applicant fortnightly in order to keep in touch with the applicant constantly to ensure safety of life and property of the ex-serviceman, for which he is fully entitled as per relevant law provisions and rules under which the application had been filed.

THE CASE

The 99-year-old ex-serviceman had accused his both daughters-in-law of fraudulently and illegally transferring his house in their name, regarding which a police case was also registered on June 7, 2008, at the Sector 26 police station. “My both daughters-in-law and their family members have so much harassed me and they have made my life a hell,” the retd Lt Col alleged, while further accusing his daughters-in-law of throwing him out of his own house, which forced him to live on rent.