In a story that could be a made for TV movie, Bollywood actor Fardeen Khan came to the rescue of an elderly lady who lives in the same upscale neighborhood the Jassawala Wadi. Kunal M Shah reported in the Mumbai Mirror that Fardeen and his uncle Akbar Khan protected 60-year-old Nilofuer Kapadia from a security team and then went with her to file a FIR at the police station.
This all stems from Kapadia refusing to give up her home Al-Dehr at Jassawala Wadi to a builder who wants to use her land to build his own home. In an interview with the Mumbai Mirror, Kapadia said, “I am a senior citizen, a single woman and have lived here all my life. I refuse to sell my bungalow if the builder is not going to give me a flat in the redeveloped property.”
She says that there have been many attempts to force her out but the matter came to a head when the security team of 20, hired by the builder, refused to let her park her second car. She was forced to park in another building and when she came out in the morning her tires had been deflated.
Kapadia then called neighbor Akbar Khan and he spoke with the security guards, which got quite heated, and then Fardeen came on the scene. Kapadia says, “He tried to reason with them, saying what they were doing was illegal, he also called the builder who refused to answer his phone. So Fardeen caught hold of my hand and said that he will bring in the car and park it in his own basement. But the builder’s men refused to let him bring the car in, some twenty-five people started banging on the car to stop it.”
She then says someone tried to take the keys out of the car’s ignition. “Fardeen got very angry at this and he, Akbar Khan and I decided to go the cops to file an FIR; Fardeen stayed with us for four hours until the police registered our complaint,” she went on to explain. An earlier report to the police had gone uninvestigated.
Builder Vikas Oberoi confirmed the report of the altercation but denies that they have any interest in Kapadia’s land. “I was not even aware that this would turn into such a major issue. All I know is that there was a heated argument between my guards and Fardeen. We have a professional security agency and it was such a trivial car parking issue. I just wish Fardeen had called me as he is a very close friend and I would not have let anything happen. As far as the lady goes, her allegations are absolutely untrue. She can live there for 100 years if she wishes to. We have enough real estate than to worry about one small little piece of land that she stays on.”
When contacted by the Mumbai Mirror the Sr PI of Santacruz Police Station, Madhukar Chowdhury confirmed that Kapadia and Fardeen Khan had filed an FIR. “We have charged the three under Section 341 and Section 323 of the IPC for wrongful restraint and assault.”
“This builder forgets that there are others as well in the wadi who will not allow him to do anything illegal,” Kapadia states.
