Dispute over property of Mumbai's 1st mayor

Mumbai, May 27 (UNI) In an interesting case, the Bombay High Court has issued showcause notices to three Iranis on a contempt petition filed by Mumbai-based advocate Kavas Khurshed Nariman, the grand-nephew of city's first elected mayor Sir Jehangir Bamanji Boman Behram following a dispute over a trust managing the latter's properties.

The show cause notices were issued last week to Cyrus Behram Irani (resident of Grant Road), Behram Kaikhusroo Tafti (resident of Khareghat Colony) and Danesh Kaikhusroo Nejadkay (resident of Godrej Baug) for disobeying an order passed by a division bench comprising Justice Dr S Radhakrishnan and Justice S J Vazifdar on March 7, last year. The matter is returnable in four weeks.

The three Iranis have challenged the grant of letters of administration De Bonis non with will and Codicil of Sir Jehangir Bamanji Boman Behram (he died on December 29, 1949) by the Bombay HC on March 3, 2005 to the petitioner on the ground that Banoo F K Boman and Rustom Salamat Irani, both since deceased, has formed a public trust (Sir J B Boman Behram Charitable Trust) and they were administering a property at Mazagaon in south-central Mumbai.

According to the petitioner, the respondents have without disclosing the facts obtained the letters of administration De Bonis Non with will and Codicil. They have alleged that some of the properties by Sir Behram in fact held by the trust and managed by the petitioner and on the basis, in 2005 order started 'inter-meddling' with the properties.

UNI