I
was assigned with the Ashram’s legal work as in-house lawyer from about January
1998. I was attending to Ashram’s legal matters usually along with senior counsels
Sri R. Padmanabhan and
Sri C.S. Narasimhan. Approximately
during September-November 1999,
Manoj Das Gupta Ashram Trustee,
Purushotham Iyengar and Matri Prasad who are like secretaries to the Trustees
(actually there is no designation or hierarchy in the Ashram
as such except
for administrative responsibility as a departmental head or a Trustee)
approached me and informed me that we have to meet Harikant C. Patel, the then
Managing Trustee, with regard to some purchase of properties. I went along with
them to Harikant C. Patel who was in the Ashram Nursing Home in the beach road
due to hip-bone fracture. Harikant started the meeting and told us that there
is one building known as ‘Ragavan House’ on the Junction of St. Louis Street
and St. Gilles Street. He said it is a place where Sri Aurobindo lived and
Ashram has been enjoying the property as a tenant for the last about 30 years.
That the Ashram now desires to purchase the house. Purushotham Iyengar
mentioned that the house owner one Mr. Selvarajan is not willing to sell the
house since so many years and asked me as to how to go about it. I told them
first to approach Mr. Selvarajan and explain the importance attached to the
Ashram for the house and request him once again and try and if he is willing,
then the Ashram Trustees will place it in their Board meeting and pass
necessary resolutions and thereafter we can observe the necessary legal
formalities. Agreeing with that proposal all of us had dispersed. Meeting
lasted for about 15 minutes. After about 3 or 4 weeks again Manoj DG, Puru and
Matri came with a person and introduced me that he is Mr. Murugavel and he is
the son of Mr. Selvarajan and mentioned about the purchase of properties. They
requested me to join them to meet Harikant Patel. We went to HCP’s house in
Calve Suproyachetty Street. I went along with them. Manoj informed that despite
their sincere efforts Mr. Selvarjan is not willing to sell the house. Then Mr.
Murugavel told us that he would also persuade his father to sell the house
somehow or the other and mentioned that he needs about 4 or 5 days time. I
mentioned that if his father agrees then we can follow up with the necessary
legal formalities. Meeting lasted for about 5 or 10 minutes. Then after about a
week days later Puru and Matri came to me along with Murugavel and took me to
Harikant’s house. At that time Manoj and HCP were already there. They were
waiting for us. In the meeting Murugavel told us that he is finding very
difficult to convince his father. He told that he and Matri Prasad met the
concerned Joint Sub Registrar and discussed with him. He said that Joint Sub
Registrar gave the idea that he would register the settlement deeds in his
favour if he or Matri or any other person can sign like his father (RKS) and
arranges some amount for him and that he would dispense with the presence of
Selvarajan and also the thumb impression and thereafter he could sell it to the
Ashram. He told Murugavel to get the Gift Settlement deed ready. Hearing this
immediately I rejected the proposal and gently explained to Murugavel that we
in the Ashram cannot do this type of activities. Murugavel told us that he
would take care of all that himself and it is not difficult. Manoj told me
‘What type of lawyer you are?’ He told that Ashram should somehow or the other
buy that house because it is a place where Sri Aurobindo lived. Puru told us
that the means is not very important, that is to say, that how we purchase is
not very important but our concern should be focussed for the end. HCP also
stressed the importance attached to the house and told me to co-operate. I
totally opposed with this proposal and discouraged all of them and told them
that being in the Ashram we should not indulge in this type of back door
methods. Then Manoj and Harikant stated
that if you do not agree then we will look into that. You can attend to the
other matters. Thereafter I was kept in dark as to what happened. I came to
know for the lst time from Ashram dispensary that something about the house
grabbing column had appeared in the Indian Express. I was shocked. I heard that
some news item and interviews also was broadcast regarding this house grabbing.
I asked Harikant C. Patel regarding the damaging news items in papers and in
TV. He told me everything is alright and the reports are all false. He said
they purchased the property properly and nothing to worry about it. I asked
them to show me the documents for which he told me that they are taking care of
it and that I need not worry about it. Thereafter many other disciplinary
matters and Ashram Inmates’ Association matters they messed it up. I could not
tolerate the attitude of the Trustees for long because they were always
suppressing the information. Therefore I withdrew (resigned) from Ashram’s
legal work. In my withdrawal letter I wrote specifically that they kept me and
our counsels Mr. Padmanabhan and Narasimhan in the dark which resulted in lot
of damage to the reputation of the Ashram. Ashram Trustees never replied to my
letter.
P.P. Raghavachary
22.3.2003
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