There is a controversy surrounding Umesh who is adopted son of environmentalist Saalumarada Thimmakka. A Bengaluru based landlord has reportedly accused him of not paying house rent for many years and refusing to vacate the rented house.
Ravi Shankar, the landlord said that the family had been staying in Manjunath Nagar near Parle-G factory in Bengaluru without paying rent regularly for several years now and dues have now reached Rs 10 lakh.
The dispute has now turned into a legal battle as the landlord was reportedly given back possession of the property after a court order.
Ravi Shankar says Saalumarada Thimmakka and her adopted son Umesh moved into the house in 2015. The property was rented out for Rs 9,000 per month then. He says he agreed to rent the house after hearing about Saalumarada Thimmakka’s reputation and social contribution.
Landlord says “I trusted her (Saalumarada Thimmakka) face seeing me and considering her standing in society that I will give accommodation to her,” he is quoted as saying by local media. But within a few months of their arrival, rent payments started getting irregular, he alleges.
Ravi Shankar also alleged that despite repeated requests the rent was not paid regularly. The situation allegedly got worse over time and the landlord said Umesh did not pay the rent and allegedly told him “you can do whatever you want”.
The landlord said this response forced him to go to court for settlement. What started as a rental arrangement became a protracted legal dispute forcing the property owner financially.
The landlord says even after the court passed an order asking the occupants to vacate the house Umesh did not hand over possession of the house.
Ravi Shankar fought a legal battle to get his property back and it came up before fifth City Civil and Sessions Court (CCH-5) which reportedly passed an order around 15 days ago allowing landlord to break open lock and take possession of house. Ravi Shankar has now reportedly got back control of house following court orders.
However, the landlord says that regaining possession of the property alone cannot solve the financial dispute. He said about Rs 10 lakh in house rent is yet to be paid.
Apart from house rent he has also alleged that electricity bills of around Rs 54,000 and water bills of around Rs 50,000 are not cleared. Ravi Shankar said these additional expenses have increased his burden further. He is reportedly planning to go back to court once again for recovery of pending rent and utility charges.
The landlord has also said that he was patient initially because of his regard for Saalumarada Thimmakka and her reputation as an environmentalist.
Thimmakka is known for her outstanding contribution to environment conservation (planting hundreds of banyan trees along roads in Karnataka) national and international acclaim for which she is one of the most respected environmental figures in the country. Ravi Shankar reportedly said that he had not taken a stronger stand initially because he liked her.
The allegations have now focused attention on the rental dispute between Thimmakka’s adopted son and the landlord. But remember that all the claims about unpaid rent, utility bills and circumstances of tenancy are based on what the landlord has said so far.
Umesh’s response and his side of the dispute are not known from the information available so far. The matter may go to court if landlord approaches court seeking recovery of the alleged outstanding amount.
As the issue comes to public attention, the questions are whether those dues will be paid and if Umesh will respond to the allegations. The case also shows how protracted landlord-tenant disputes can be financially and legally costly (rent and possession disagreements go unresolved for years).
Comments