Single woman cheated of property rights

CHANDIGARH: A single empowered woman is still perceived as a threat by society. Going by the experience of Ranjana (name changed on request), who inherited property worth Rs 2 crore, all sorts of threats and pressure tactics were exercised by a close nexus of lawyers, property dealers and a few goons to unsettle her. These people wanted her to leave the house that she has not only inherited from her mother, but is also registered in her name since 2004.
Her plight proves, once again, that money alone cannot empower a woman. Some of the threats received by her included verbal assaults like, "We will make your stay unbearable, we will give you a bad name, be happy with what you are getting, what will you do with all this money," informed a social activist of a group named Ma Sharanam, which is offering counselling and moral support to Ranjana, and many more like her, fighting lone battles.
Going by the FIR filed by Ranjana in Sector 7 police station, Panchkula, her family lawyer, in connivance with a property dealer, committed a fraud to cheat her out of her lawful right over a property which belonged to her.
After Ranjana's mother died in May 2006, her family friend and lawyer Sameer Sethi, who had the property papers under his custody, allegedly made her sign a sales deed for Rs 2 crore to one Mandeep Singh for which she received a bayana of Rs 15 lakh. Later, when the interim money of Rs 45 lakh did not arrive, after the promised duration of 40 days, she asked Sethi to inquire the cause of delay.
As it turned out, one more buyer, Ajay Jindal, appeared on the scene who claimed to have signed a sales deed for Rs 1.88 crore, for which a bayana of Rs 35 lakh was paid to Sethi.
Ranjana claims she was given only Rs 20 lakh out of the received money. The FIR stated that Sethi allegedly threatened Ranjana that he will put the house under litigation if she did not agree to what he said. Incidentally Sethi is son of a former DGP, police.
Ranjana alleged that Sethi instigated her nephew to file false court cases to stall sale of the house and that she is exploited and threatened by Sethi because of her single status.
When contacted, Sameer Sethi said, "As counsel of Kaushal Gupta, Ranjana's nephew, who wanted to contest inheritance, I fought the case and he has been compensated Rs 10 lakh by the court. The new registry of the house cannot take place till tenants vacate the house."
When contacted, Ranjana's lawyer Mukesh Mittal said Ranjana was made to come to a compromise with Sethi, though, it has not been implemented yet. "October 27 was the date for paying the amount to Ranjana. Hopefully, it will take place within couple of days," added Mittal.