Events & Personalities
Threat calls over will
Charges are likely to be framed against Pheroze Dastur, a former pilot, for criminally intimidating the late Justice Bakhtavar Lentin and his family over a property dispute, reported Mumbai Mirror (MM) in its issue of October 5, 2013. Lentin, an illustrious and respected judge of the Bombay High Court (BHC) who made the complaint, passed away 13 years ago. It was his son Jamshed, a lawyer, who approached the court for relief in 2001, a year after his father’s demise, states the report. Though, at that time the court had ordered that a First Information Report (FIR) be registered against Dastur for criminal intimidation and intentional insult to provoke breach, the case languished for over a decade, mentions MM.
The FIR reveals that Lentin, along with two other persons was an executor of the will of Piloo Ghaswala who had two daughters, observes MM. Half of her estate was to go to the elder daughter while the other half was earmarked for her granddaughter, the child of her younger daughter Layla, to be placed in a trust as Ghaswala alleged that Layla was suffering from fits of depression, writes MM. Layla and Dastur, her boyfriend, allegedly threatened Lentin and demanded that the granddaughter’s share of the property be transferred to Layla’s name, reports the daily.
An extract from the FIR, reproduced in MM reads: "From January 22, 1995, Dastur kept calling up our residence day and night where he made false, reckless, obscene and abusive allegations with threats of dire consequences. Due to this, my father tendered his resignation as executor of the will. The telephone harassment continued till May 1996, where he threatened to kill me and my son with the help of his clout. We have recorded a few of these conversations.”
According to MM, Lentin himself had addressed a letter to the Deputy Commissioner of Police in 1996: "I write to you in desperation. It is in connection with allegations against my family by Pheroze Dastur. He has been harassing us for a year.”
On October 4, 2013, the magistrate’s court rejected Dastur’s discharge application, but gave him time until October 28 to approach the BHC for relief, states the report. Should that be denied, charges would be framed against him without further delay, the paper adds. In 2012 Dastur had approached the BHC as well as the Supreme Court (SC), both of which had dismissed his petitions, states MM. In an order dated March 1, 2013 the SC had reportedly ordered expedition in the trial with charges to be framed within six months.
Dastur told the court that there was no reason for him to make the threat calls, notes MM. His advocate argued that the complaint was devoid of all merit and that the FIR had been registered after a delay of five years, mentions MM. But public prosecutor Kiran Bendbhar stated that the filing of the FIR was delayed because the BHC and SC had earlier rejected Dastur’s discharge petitions and that the accused was fully aware that there was substantial evidence against him, reported MM. Also, the prosecution wanted to know how the accused had access to probe documents, states MM.
Dastur’s counsel told MM: "We are waiting for a copy of the order, after which we will either approach the Sessions Court or the BHC.” Lentin’s son Jamshed would not comment as the matter is sub judice.
The FIR reveals that Lentin, along with two other persons was an executor of the will of Piloo Ghaswala who had two daughters, observes MM. Half of her estate was to go to the elder daughter while the other half was earmarked for her granddaughter, the child of her younger daughter Layla, to be placed in a trust as Ghaswala alleged that Layla was suffering from fits of depression, writes MM. Layla and Dastur, her boyfriend, allegedly threatened Lentin and demanded that the granddaughter’s share of the property be transferred to Layla’s name, reports the daily.
An extract from the FIR, reproduced in MM reads: "From January 22, 1995, Dastur kept calling up our residence day and night where he made false, reckless, obscene and abusive allegations with threats of dire consequences. Due to this, my father tendered his resignation as executor of the will. The telephone harassment continued till May 1996, where he threatened to kill me and my son with the help of his clout. We have recorded a few of these conversations.”
According to MM, Lentin himself had addressed a letter to the Deputy Commissioner of Police in 1996: "I write to you in desperation. It is in connection with allegations against my family by Pheroze Dastur. He has been harassing us for a year.”
On October 4, 2013, the magistrate’s court rejected Dastur’s discharge application, but gave him time until October 28 to approach the BHC for relief, states the report. Should that be denied, charges would be framed against him without further delay, the paper adds. In 2012 Dastur had approached the BHC as well as the Supreme Court (SC), both of which had dismissed his petitions, states MM. In an order dated March 1, 2013 the SC had reportedly ordered expedition in the trial with charges to be framed within six months.
Dastur told the court that there was no reason for him to make the threat calls, notes MM. His advocate argued that the complaint was devoid of all merit and that the FIR had been registered after a delay of five years, mentions MM. But public prosecutor Kiran Bendbhar stated that the filing of the FIR was delayed because the BHC and SC had earlier rejected Dastur’s discharge petitions and that the accused was fully aware that there was substantial evidence against him, reported MM. Also, the prosecution wanted to know how the accused had access to probe documents, states MM.
Dastur’s counsel told MM: "We are waiting for a copy of the order, after which we will either approach the Sessions Court or the BHC.” Lentin’s son Jamshed would not comment as the matter is sub judice.
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