Politics and Policy
Relative matters
Bombay Parsi Punchayet trustees and community activist Mehernosh Fitter both lay claim to a corpse
The death of an 86-year-old divorcee Mani Dhunjishaw Bharucha this March triggered off a tussle for her corpse between the Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) and community activist Mehernosh Fitter who claimed the woman to be his "aunt.”
At a meeting convened at the Malabar Hill Police Station on March 13, 2013, according to a press communiqué issued by BPP chief executive officer Mehli Colah, Bharucha’s body was released to the BPP for the funeral ceremonies. "As per our BPP protocol, Bharucha’s funeral was announced to be held on Friday March 15, 2013 at 2 p.m. in The Bombay Samachar. No blood relations were present at the funeral, except for a few friends of the deceased. Fitter did not attend any of the four days’ after life ceremonies which were performed at the Godavara Agiary, in Fort. Fitter was conspicuous by his absence for all these ceremonies, except he was, as expected, present for the funeral ceremony (paidast) performed in the lower bungli at the Doongerwadi.”
The press release was signed by BPP trustees Dinshaw Mehta, Jimmy Mistry, Khojeste Mistree, Yazdi Desai, Armaity Tirandaz and Muncherji Cama. BPP trustee Arnavaz Mistry’s name and signature also appears on the communiqué but a line has been drawn through both.
At a meeting convened at the Malabar Hill Police Station on March 13, 2013, according to a press communiqué issued by BPP chief executive officer Mehli Colah, Bharucha’s body was released to the BPP for the funeral ceremonies. "As per our BPP protocol, Bharucha’s funeral was announced to be held on Friday March 15, 2013 at 2 p.m. in The Bombay Samachar. No blood relations were present at the funeral, except for a few friends of the deceased. Fitter did not attend any of the four days’ after life ceremonies which were performed at the Godavara Agiary, in Fort. Fitter was conspicuous by his absence for all these ceremonies, except he was, as expected, present for the funeral ceremony (paidast) performed in the lower bungli at the Doongerwadi.”
The press release was signed by BPP trustees Dinshaw Mehta, Jimmy Mistry, Khojeste Mistree, Yazdi Desai, Armaity Tirandaz and Muncherji Cama. BPP trustee Arnavaz Mistry’s name and signature also appears on the communiqué but a line has been drawn through both. "Cold storage”
In a letter to the BPP trustees dated March 14, Fitter alleged "my aunt was brought on March 12, at 9.30 p.m. with all necessary papers handed over to your office for a paidast. The said corpse was taken into custody without any reasons… under the instruction of BPP trustee Armaity Tirandaz and (BPP chairman) Dinshaw Mehta.”
In a press note dated March 22, Fitter claimed, "I had obtained every single document that was necessary.” As a result of the dispute "for three nights her body was in the cold storage.” He alleged that "thrice… she requested me in case of her death please do all the formalities.”
In a letter dated March 26, 2013 sent to Parsiana Fitter claimed that "my late mother Kumi in the 1980s used to ask me to drop her at Bharucha’s Colaba house for a day as they all used to get along and spend time, and later on the way back, I used to pick her up to go back home, numerous number of times. At that time once she informed me, that she was her Masi’s daughter (second cousins).” (sic)
Countering Fitter’s allegation, the six trustees wrote, "Today we are facing a situation where relationships are being created in hospitals and homes for the aged, where asset seekers are lurking around to find a sick and lonely elder with no encumbrances to suddenly embrace as their ‘dear Maasi’ or ‘Maasa.’”
In a covering note to the press communiqué Colah requested the Press to publicize the incident so as "to obviate gullible advance aged Parsi/Irani Zoroastrians from falling into a deception and protect themselves and their properties/assets.”
Referring to the case of Bharucha who resided "all alone at D Block, Cusrow Baug,” they stated, "she was admitted to the B. D. Petit Parsee General Hospital in December 2012 by a concerned neighbor, Farrokh Ragina, who was also looking after her and had visited her on several occasions in the Hospital.” She was also visited by Tirandaz.
Bharucha expired on March 12 at 4.45 p.m. "and the body was brought to Doongerwadi at 9.15 p.m. in the BPP hearse.”
On hearing of her death the trustees allege Fitter, a resident of Dadar "and a self-professed social worker, rushed to the Hospital” to stake his claim on the corpse… "What is even more disconcerting is that, at the Hospital on March 12, Fitter snatched ‘Form 4’ from Ragina in front of the superintendent of the Hospital and signed himself as the claimant of the body below Ragina’s signature.”
Tirandaz "moved swiftly to prevent Fitter to take possession of the body… The Doongerwadi staff was instructed by the trustees to place the body in the morgue as a ‘lavarish’ (unclaimed) corpse, and as per the rules followed over the years insert a public notice in The Bombay Samachar calling upon any genuine relatives to claim the body for doing the religious rites, and in absence of any such relative complying or coming forward it would imply that the BPP would undertake all the four-day, after life prayers for the deceased…”
Fitter then "went to the Gamdevi Police Station on the night of March 12,” according to the trustees.
"The next morning on March 13, the BPP chairman along with Tirandaz and the (Doongerwadi) manager Jimmy Poonawalla met the senior inspector of the Malabar Hill Police Station along with Fitter and Firoze Kotwal, a resident of Adarbad on Hughes Road (who was brought by Fitter). Fitter handed over a letter of complaint dated March 13 now showing his correct and factual Dadar residential address (contrary to the Cusrow Baug address he stated in Form 4 at the Gamdevi Police Station), asking the senior inspector to... direct the trustees to hand over the dead body of his aunt to him.”
The inspector "asked Fitter for proof to show his blood relationship — like his name on Bharucha’s ration card or electric bill or bank account or any other proof to show the blood relationship. Obviously, Fitter could not produce any cogent proof.”
As reportedly no proof was forthcoming the police released the body to the custody of the trustees, states the press note. Accordingly, the paidast ceremony was performed on March 15 at 2 p.m.
"Fitter was trying to create a paper trail, which in this instance he was unable to do, thanks to the prompt action taken by Tirandaz and the ever vigilant Doongerwadi staff and the BPP staff of the Wadia Committee, who in fact went and put a double lock and placed a security guard outside the Cusrow Baug flat in order to prevent trespass into the flat,” observed the trustees.
They cautioned against "such persons whose sole aim… is to first befriend old and unsuspecting persons... (and) usurp all their belongings...”
In a letter to the BPP trustees dated March 14, Fitter alleged "my aunt was brought on March 12, at 9.30 p.m. with all necessary papers handed over to your office for a paidast. The said corpse was taken into custody without any reasons… under the instruction of BPP trustee Armaity Tirandaz and (BPP chairman) Dinshaw Mehta.”
In a press note dated March 22, Fitter claimed, "I had obtained every single document that was necessary.” As a result of the dispute "for three nights her body was in the cold storage.” He alleged that "thrice… she requested me in case of her death please do all the formalities.”
In a letter dated March 26, 2013 sent to Parsiana Fitter claimed that "my late mother Kumi in the 1980s used to ask me to drop her at Bharucha’s Colaba house for a day as they all used to get along and spend time, and later on the way back, I used to pick her up to go back home, numerous number of times. At that time once she informed me, that she was her Masi’s daughter (second cousins).” (sic)
Countering Fitter’s allegation, the six trustees wrote, "Today we are facing a situation where relationships are being created in hospitals and homes for the aged, where asset seekers are lurking around to find a sick and lonely elder with no encumbrances to suddenly embrace as their ‘dear Maasi’ or ‘Maasa.’”
In a covering note to the press communiqué Colah requested the Press to publicize the incident so as "to obviate gullible advance aged Parsi/Irani Zoroastrians from falling into a deception and protect themselves and their properties/assets.”
Referring to the case of Bharucha who resided "all alone at D Block, Cusrow Baug,” they stated, "she was admitted to the B. D. Petit Parsee General Hospital in December 2012 by a concerned neighbor, Farrokh Ragina, who was also looking after her and had visited her on several occasions in the Hospital.” She was also visited by Tirandaz.
Bharucha expired on March 12 at 4.45 p.m. "and the body was brought to Doongerwadi at 9.15 p.m. in the BPP hearse.”
On hearing of her death the trustees allege Fitter, a resident of Dadar "and a self-professed social worker, rushed to the Hospital” to stake his claim on the corpse… "What is even more disconcerting is that, at the Hospital on March 12, Fitter snatched ‘Form 4’ from Ragina in front of the superintendent of the Hospital and signed himself as the claimant of the body below Ragina’s signature.”
Tirandaz "moved swiftly to prevent Fitter to take possession of the body… The Doongerwadi staff was instructed by the trustees to place the body in the morgue as a ‘lavarish’ (unclaimed) corpse, and as per the rules followed over the years insert a public notice in The Bombay Samachar calling upon any genuine relatives to claim the body for doing the religious rites, and in absence of any such relative complying or coming forward it would imply that the BPP would undertake all the four-day, after life prayers for the deceased…”
Fitter then "went to the Gamdevi Police Station on the night of March 12,” according to the trustees.
"The next morning on March 13, the BPP chairman along with Tirandaz and the (Doongerwadi) manager Jimmy Poonawalla met the senior inspector of the Malabar Hill Police Station along with Fitter and Firoze Kotwal, a resident of Adarbad on Hughes Road (who was brought by Fitter). Fitter handed over a letter of complaint dated March 13 now showing his correct and factual Dadar residential address (contrary to the Cusrow Baug address he stated in Form 4 at the Gamdevi Police Station), asking the senior inspector to... direct the trustees to hand over the dead body of his aunt to him.”
The inspector "asked Fitter for proof to show his blood relationship — like his name on Bharucha’s ration card or electric bill or bank account or any other proof to show the blood relationship. Obviously, Fitter could not produce any cogent proof.”
As reportedly no proof was forthcoming the police released the body to the custody of the trustees, states the press note. Accordingly, the paidast ceremony was performed on March 15 at 2 p.m.
"Fitter was trying to create a paper trail, which in this instance he was unable to do, thanks to the prompt action taken by Tirandaz and the ever vigilant Doongerwadi staff and the BPP staff of the Wadia Committee, who in fact went and put a double lock and placed a security guard outside the Cusrow Baug flat in order to prevent trespass into the flat,” observed the trustees.
They cautioned against "such persons whose sole aim… is to first befriend old and unsuspecting persons... (and) usurp all their belongings...”
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