Indore: Singapore market shopkeepers in a fix

After locks put on of the first and second floor of disputed Singapore market at Regal Square, the shopkeepers on the ground floor and basement of the building are confused regarding payment of rent as the Mahavir trust is going to challenge the decision.

They also have fear of losing their establishments.

Indore bench of Madhya Pradesh High Court had directed the district administration to take suitable action against the land given to the Mahavir Trust in its order delivered on November 29, 2013. In compliance of the order, administration locked the first and second floor of the building.

The court had also directed to open an escrow account under the custodianship of the district judge in Corporation Bank situated on the ground floor of the building. All the tenants of the ground floor will have to deposit their rent in the account.

“We will challenge the decision in division bench,” said Lalit Rathore, manager of Mahavir Trust.

Deepak Sharma who owns a car accessories shop in the basement said that the shopkeepers have no objection in paying the rent either to the Icon Builder or the administration. The situation is not clear as it is being said that the Trust is going to challenge the decision in division bench. Things are uncertain and we fear that we may also lose the shops in the dispute.

“We are paying the rent to Icon Builders and have paid in advance for a couple of months. We will pay the rent as instructed but we fear to lose our establishments,” said Govind Jaiswal, owner of Global Tailor & Cloth Center and ‘Dulha Collection’ situated in the market.

Another tenant Vatan Jain who owns a computer hardware shop in the basement said, “High Court has ordered to maintain the status quo and directed to deposit the rent in account of district judge. Things are not clear at this stage and any thing could happen. I wish nothing happens to our shops.

The 42,000 square feet land on which the building stands was basically given to the Mahavir Trust by the state government for conducting child welfare activities.

However, the trust sublet the land to Icon Builders which constructed the building and rented the shops and other portion of the building.

The Trust also made commercial use of 2,500 square feet land for construction of a Kirti Stambha. It constructed two ATMs in the base of the Kirti Stambha. A petition was filed by Deepak Kasliwal in the High Court on which the directions were issued by the court.