22 years on, three convicted for assault over property feud

A court in Mumbai has sentenced the owner of a security firm and two others to three years' rigorous imprisonment in a 1997 case of assault over property dispute.

Swaran Salaria (63), owner of Trig security; Surendra Ruia (69) and Sanjay Ruia (68) were found guilty under Indian Penal Code sections452 (house- trespass after preparation for hurt, assault or wrongful restraint) and 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means) by Metropolitan Magistrate R R Khan on Thursday.

Salaria is a local BJP member. He had unsuccessfully contested the 2017 Gurdaspur by-election as a BJP candidate.

During the long drawn-out trial, the prosecution examined seven witnesses including three retired police officers.

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Complainant Gajanan Ruia is a relative of Surendra and Sanjay. All three and their families lived in Ruia House building in suburban Andheri.

The relations between Gajanan and other two were strained due to a dispute over ancestral property, and litigation was going on.

On April 24, 1997, Surendra, Sanjay and Salaria entered the house along with 20 to 22 security guards who worked for Salaria, and assaulted him and his siblings, Gajanan Ruia said in his complaint.

Surendra and Sanjay had hired Salaria, who threatened to throw out Gajanan and his family from the house, the complaint said.

The magistrate observed that the crime was result of "passion or obsession to grab the property by terrorizing the family" and was a unique case where pressure tactics were used with the help of goons to settle a civil dispute. 

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