In a rather troubling incident, a family, residing along with their relatives in Noida’s Lavanya Apartment (Sector 62) for the last five years, has been asked by the managing committee of the society to either abandon their pet or leave the society. The family, now, has no other option than to choose the latter one.
When City Spidey contacted Abhishek Bhattacharya, the victim, and asked about the whole incident, he narrated, “Actually, we brought a three-month-old Labrador to our home, thinking that my mother-in-law, who lost her husband and remains depressed, would find a companion in him to spend some quality time. Everything was fine until a sweeper in the society saw the dog urinating on stairs outside our flats. Sweeper refused to clean that area which resulted in an argument between me and the sweeper following which the matter was escalated to the managing committee.”
“Earlier, we were asked to vacate flat number B-6 as the flat owner said his daughter will be staying here. We requested him to give at least two months’ time to which he agreed. We somehow manage to get a flat in J block in the same society and were planning to shift there. But after this issue, landlord of that flat too got uncomfortable and refused to give his flat to us on rent,” Abhishek added.
Abhishek, while stressing on the adamant behaviour shown by the managing committee also pointed out on society’s earlier notice which had no such rule.
When City Spidey asked the same question to the president of the society, TK Bera, he replied, “The notice which he is talking about was before 2016. The decision of not allowing dog was taken in the general body meeting and that too with the consent of residents in majority. We were receiving complaints related to dog-biting in the society and hence the matter was put before all.”
Replying to another question on how the managing committee would justify that a family that was living for the past five years has been abruptly asked to leave the society because they have a pet dog, Bera vaguely said, “We are nobody to ask the family to leave the society. We are just following the norms of the society which are prescribed with the majority of the residents.”
Abhishek Bhattacharya, who works with the Delhi government’s Dialogue and Development Commission (DDC) department and his wife Deepshikha, who is associated with a private firm in Noida, are living here as tenant since 2013. The couple lives in flat no B-5 whereas Deepshikha’s mother, Neelam Aggrawal and two sisters are residing in B-6.
