Headlines
Muslim woman in Mumbai denied room on rent
Mumbai, May 27
A 25-year old London-educated
woman advertising professional was refused permission to hire a flat in
Wadala, central Mumbai on grounds that she was a Muslim.
Maharashtra Minority Affairs Minister Eknath Khadse has ordered a probe into the incident here on Wednesday.
The
incident involving Misbah N. Quadri - hailing from Ahmedabad, but
living and working in the city since five years - comes barely a week
after a Muslim MBA, Zeeshan Ali Khan was denied a job at Hari Krishna
Exports Pvt. Ltd, a top ranking diamond company on religious grounds.
Taking
a serious view of the continuing anti-Muslim sentiments in certain
quarters, Maharashtra Minorities Commission Chairman M. H. Khan led a
delegation on Wednesday evening and apprised Khadse of the matter.
The
minister has ordered a probe and a MMC team will visit the builder of
Sanghvi Heights building in Wadala, close to her office in a leading
advertising and media group.
"Regarding Khan, we have started a
probe and police have registered a FIR. As far as the girl (Misbah)'s
complaint is concerned, we shall probe and follow up with action,"
Khadse told reporters.
Early April, Quadri finalized the deal for
renting one bedroom in the 3-BHK flat and paid an initial cash deposit
of Rs.24,000 to the broker, identified only as one Bansal.
Bansal
refused to give a written agreement for the flat in Sanghvi Heights,
and demanded the remaining Rs.9,000 deposit, plus advance rentals, and
allegedly threatened her with police action for non-compliance.
Later, he telephonically informed Misbah that the housing society debars Muslim tenants or owners.
"I
was shocked to hear from Bansal that the building does not encourage
Muslims on its premises after paying the deposit for the flat. The
broker has not returned my deposit so far," Misbah told IANS.
"How
could he not provide the rental agreement after collecting the
part-deposit, wanted the rentals, my resume, after which there would be
the mandatory police verification? He even refused to enter my name in
the agreement, leaving me with no legal protection whatsoever in case of
any future problems," Misbah added.
Activist lawyer from New
Delhi Shehzad Poonawala has shot off a complaint seeking intervention of
the National Commission of Minorities and ministry of home affairs in
the capital, besides Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, highlighting the
issue of discrimination against Muslims on various grounds.
"Misbah
was also told to sign a 'NOC' declaring that if she encountered any
harassment from the society members or neighbours because of her
religion, the builder, owner and broker would not be legally
responsible," Poonawala said in his representation.
The broker
also asked her to provide her resume, and although she was not
agreeable, she agreed to the conditions since the notice period in her
previous accommodation in Malad suburb was about to end.
Without
her deposit Misbah somehow managed to arrange a temporary paying guest
accomodation in Bandra where she lives presently, but is determined to
fight it out.
Her Ahmedabad-based journalist mother, Rafat N.
Quadri, who has worked with BBC London and the British Home Office, said
she was very concerned about her daughter living alone in Mumbai for
the past five years.
"We were planning to either rent or buy a
flat in Mumbai for her, but it may be difficult in view of the latest
developments...We hope for justice from Maharashtra government," Rafat
told IANS.