'No Marathis': Woman Claims Mulund Society Denied Her Flat, Snatched Phone For Raising Questions

In a viral video, a woman from Maharashtra was seen sobbing after she was allegedly denied a flat by a co-operative housing society in Maharashtra’s Mulund. Worse, she blamed the office-bearers of the society of allegedly snatching her phone when she tried to call the cops for raising questions about it.

In the video, the victim, Trupti Deorukhkar, said: “Nobody values Maharashtrians in Mumbai”. While narrating the story, Trupti said she had gone to a building called Shiv Sadan in Mulund West — which she had found out about online — to look for an office space. She, however, mentioned that she had no idea how the locality was like.

“The secretary of the housing society told me that Maharashtrians are not allowed there… When I questioned him and asked him for a copy of any such written rule, he started fighting with me, asked me to go to the police. Where have these people got so much arrogance from? Today in Maharashtra, they tell Maharashtrians this,” Trupti can be heard saying in the viral video.

The woman also alleged that when she tried to make a call, the person snatched her phone while two of his acquaintances came to support him.

“While all this was happening, not a single Maharashtrian came forward to help me… I am furious about everyone and not just the Gujaratis. I am not saying all Gujaratis discriminate like this, but just like this society in Mulund West, I am sure there will be other housing societies, too, which will have such rules. And many like me have faced such humiliation,” pleaded the woman.

The incident has sparked reactions in the Marathi community, with Maharashtrians questioning the authority of people from other community refusing flats.

“Shiv Sadan Building, Mulund W. Where do these people come from to say that Marathi people are not allowed in Maharashtra? Will those who call commoners’ government @CMOMaharashtra & @Dev_Fadnavis take any action against them? False cases and political horseplay wastes no time @ShivSenaUBT_”: an X user said.

Maharashtra State Women’s Commission Takes Note

Backing the woman’s stand, President of Maharashtra State Women’s Commission, Rupali Chakankar, said: “Article 15 of the Constitution of India provides no citizen shall be discriminated against on the basis of religion, caste, sex, place of birth. This includes caste and language. Also, in the Maharashtra Co-operative Societies Act, 1960, no permission has been given to the society not to give houses to certain castes, religions and languages ​​in the housing society.”

She added that despite the rules, most co-operative housing societies are openly discriminating on the basis of certain caste, religion, language and diet.

“Advertisements of housing schemes and websites also have this prominently written for ‘Gated Community’ only. Co-operative Department and Housing Department need to take serious action in this regard,” added the woman.

She also mentioned that the fact a Marathi-speaking woman is denied a flat in Mumbai, the capital of Maharashtra, is “very serious”.

The Maharashtra State Women’s Commission has taken notice of this incident and have asked the Cooperative Commissioner, Maharashtra State, Pune and the Principal Secretary, Housing Department, Maharashtra State, Ministry, to inquire and report on the same.

Instructions have been given to the police station concerned to investigate the incident and take action.