Society members nabbed for denying flat to muslim man

The Manikpur police arrested eight members of Happy Jivan Cooperative Housing Society on Monday for having denied a flat to a Muslim family. The members, including two women, were later produced in the Vasai court, where they were granted bail.

Sources said that the police had earlier registered a case against 11 of the society’s members, but it later transpired that one of these people owns two flats in the building. “One society member is still wanted in the case since he is not in the city at present. We will arrest him after he returns,” said a police officer. The sources added that the statement that these society members had made while denying the flat to the Muslim family is still being checked.

The police said that they picked up the society members on Monday morning. They were then produced in court to be remanded under sections 298 and 295A of the Indian Penal Code for uttering words meant to hurt religious sentiments and committing deliberate acts intended to hurt religious feelings.

The police had registered an FIR on Saturday after receiving the complaint concerned from Kantaben Patel and Wiqar Ahmad Khan. Ms Patel wanted to sell her 710-sq ft flat to Mr Khan, but the society had refused to grant her a no-objection certificate, allegedly because the buyer was a Muslim person.