Is someone eyeing this animal lover’s property?

Powerful people from popular city daily trying to take over unwell Leela Parulekar's house, says former aide

Is someone eyeing this animal lover's property?

Powerful people from popular city daily trying to take over unwell Leela Parulekar's house, says former aide

Honorary Animal Welfare Officer Manoj Oswal has claimed that well-known animal lover Leela Parulekar spoke frankly before Opposition Leader Eknath Khadse and told him some people from Sakal papers had tried to take over her 3.5-acre residential complex. The ailing Parulekar's house at Queens Garden Road is now under police supervision. There is also extra private security at her residence.

Critical: Ailing Lila Parulekar is under police supervision.

Parulekar is the daughter of the late Nanasaheb Parulekar, the founder-editor of Marathi daily Sakal. She is known for her social work and for taking care of stray dogs. The now bed-ridden Parulekar -- she has been suffering from paralysis for two years -- had kept over 300 stray dogs at her residence at Queens Garden Road.

The stray dogs that were being taken care of by Parulekar at her
residence. Pics/krunal Gosavi

CBI inquiry demand
Oswal alleged that Parulekar's physical condition had worsened but she has been kept in her house despite her failing health. He said her immune system had become weak. "The condition of that place is unhygienic and she can get any contagious disease. I tried to shift her to some better hospital but I was prevented and kept in police custody for two days by a false police complaint," he said. "She was also pressurised to put her signature on the complaint."

Oswal demanded a CID or a CBI inquiry into the issue and the false complaints levelled against him.
Oswal has also been asking for a psychological check-up for Parulekar as she was not living in normal circumstances. According to Oswal, cases of trespass are made against her friends who want to help her by those who had some vested interests. "The condition of the 150 to 200 dogs in her house is also bad and they have some major skin and immune problems," Oswal said.
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Social worker Ravindra Barhate, who had made a telephone call to Maneka Gandhi before media representatives on Monday, claimed that she was concerned over her health and her property. He said even Khadse was prevented entry at her home on August 28 at 3 pm. MiD DAY visited Parulekar's house, where over 50 dogs were near the main entrance. The bed-ridden Parulekar refuted the charges levelled by Oswal, saying he was false and had forcibly tried to take her to a hospital against her wish.

She said that earlier Oswal was working for her and also helping her, but since he had started lying to her she had told him to not enter her house premises. "I am undergoing treatment by doctors from a private hospital and have kept two nurses round-the-clock to take care of me," she said.

Threat to property
Asked whether there was any threat to her property from somebody, Parulekar replied in the affirmative, but said the gravity of the threat was lesser now compared to the past. "The risk factor is still there," she said.But Parulekar did not name anybody. "Rumours are spread by those who are not on good terms with me and had worked with me earlier. Such misleading information is shared from the people working in my house," she said. Parulekar's nurse Banu Pathan said that she was suffering from paralysis for two year followed by a heart attack. "She is otherwise normal and roams in and around the house on her wheelchair to look after her dogs," she said.

The Other Side
Mahendra Pisal, legal adviser, Sakal Paper Trust Private Ltd, refuted the charges levelled by Oswal. "Leela Parulekar is the lifetime director of the trust and we are bearing the expenses of her illness and have admitted her to Jahangir Hospital 10 to 12 times and spent money on her health," Pisal said.

"Sakal Trust and none of its members has any interest in Parulekar's property. Her house has been protected by deputing security followed by her letter on October 9, 2010, to prevent the entrance of Oswal." Pisal added that in a legal notice issued to Oswal on August 30, Parulekar has warned him not to take any press briefing without her consent; otherwise it shall be treated as contempt of court. "Oswal has no authority to ask anything about Parulekar and her health status. She is okay and any of her friends can meet her at her house," Pisal said.

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