To
Shri Rajnath Singh
Raksha Mantri
19 March 2023
DHQ PO New Delhi 110011 By Email to: <[email protected]>;
EVICTION OF MS. ARUNA RODRIGUES, DAUGHTER OF LATE BRIG EA RODRIGUES, FROM HER RESIDENCE IN MHOW CANTONMENT
Dear Shri Rajnath Singh,
With great concern, we the undersigned Veterans are constrained to bring to your notice, the entirely illegal and distasteful action taken by the Defence Estate Officer (DEO) Mhow Cantonment by evicting Ms Aruna Rodrigues from her home in Bungalow 69, Mhow Cantonment on the morning of 21 December 2022, in the presence of armed soldiers and military police.
Her personal belongings, furniture, paintings and decorative items were dumped on the public road outside the Bungalow. Needless to say that this lawless and arbitrary act has caused deep trauma and distress to Ms Aruna Rodrigues, daughter of a distinguished deceased army officer.
Documents filed in Court, reveal that the property in question has been in possession of the family for 120 years. A notice for vacation issued to the daughters of late Brigadier EA Rodrigues in 1997, is under adjudication in lower courts in Mhow and is therefore sub judice. Thus, action taken by a party in the case without a court order is against law.
That this eviction was done in the presence of local army units, amounts to misuse of troops by the local military authority. That no notice of eviction was produced as demanded by Ms Aruna Rodrigues amounts to misuse of authority by the DEO. Ms Aruna Rodrigues constitutional rights have been violated. Such high handed and lawless action by both civil and military authorities cannot be condoned.
We urge you to issue instructions to the concerned authorities, to restore and hand over the Bungalow 69, Mhow Cantonment, to Ms Aruna Rodrigues, till the matter is settled in Court.
We also request you to institute an inquiry against the conduct and action of the concerned authorities including the military authorities.
We look forward to your response. Jai Hind.
Admiral Laxminarayan Ramdas PVSM, VrC, AVSM (Retd)
Former CNS Maj Gen SG Vombatkere VSM (Retd)
Col Pavan Nair VSM (Retd)
Lt Col MT Johnson (Retd)
Maj Priyadarshi Chowdhuri SC (Retd)
Copy by Email to: <[email protected]>;
Chief of the Army Staff, Gen Manoj Pande PVSM, AVSM,VSM, ADC.
