Nine members of a housing society in Greater Mumbai arrested for allegedly disrupting communal harmony.
Nine members of a housing society in Vasai in Greater Mumbai have been arrested for allegedly disrupting communal harmony by refusing to allow a Muslim family to buy a flat in the building.
The trouble started when 55-year-old Kantaben Patel, who owns a flat in the society, agreed to sell it to Ahmed Khan.
Despite coming to a consensus on the selling price, Ms Patel could not go ahead with the sale as members of the Housing Society passed a resolution stating the flat could not be sold to Mr Khan -- allegedly because of his religion.
"We are the owners of the flat and hence we can sell it to whoever we want. I can sell it to a Hindu, Muslim or Christian, it's my decision," said Jignesh Shah, Kantaben's son. The society, he said, cannot deny a No Objection Certificate, "but our society refused to give us the NOC".
They even threatened to harass him by disconnecting the flat's water supply. He said.
Asked why, Mr Shah said, "they said because they wouldn't let me sell my flat to a Muslim".
Besides the nine persons arrested, a complaint has also been lodged against two others from the housing society.
"Nine people have been arrested today, among them society secretary Jeetendra Jain and others who have signed. One person isn't in town and when he is back we will inquire against him too," said Police Inspector Anil Patil.
The Happy Jeevan Society has 16 flats that house two Muslim families who bought their homes from the developer. Both families claim they were not consulted by other executive members of the society before the resolution was passed.