It turns out to be a haunted house for actor Priya Rajvansh, even after her death.
After five years of her brutal murder, her 6th floor flat (501) at Mangal Kiran building, Iris Park, Juhu, was sold off recently, but only to lead to another controversy.
“My other brother Gullu, who’s in London, is handling the sale of the house. I heard it was sold off recently. I received two cheques of my share of Rs 24 lakh and both been proved duds. I have no idea about for how much price the flat has been sold off,” Padamjit Singh, Priya’s brother told this correspondent from New York.
Gullu was not available for comments when contacted in his London number.
“Some people were seen renovating the house a month ago, but they have all disappeared,” said a security guard at the building. When DNA paid a visit to the building, it was closed.
Priya has left behind a four-page will (DNA has a copy of it) in 1994, in which she had requested two of her brothers Padamjit and Kanwal (Gullu) “to sell the flat and after having deducted their expenses, to donate the entire amount to charities’’.
She wanted the amount to be donated in the name of her mother, Sarla Singh, and listed Helpage India, CRY-India, Spastics Society and Cheshire’ Homes-India as the beneficiaries. When contacted, all the NGOs said they had not got any money from the sale of the house. “We have not received any share,” informed Dr John Thattil, regional director, Helpage India.
“We never knew that such a will existed. When I inquired, I was told that no money has come to the organisation,” said Wilhelmine Ferriera of Cheshire’ Homes India, an NGO for rehabilitation of paralysed men.
Sources said the house fetched a price around Rs 80 lakh. “The actual rate of the house could be around Rs 1 crore, going by the market price,” said noted property consultant Raju Manwani.
The flat was gifted to Priya by late film-maker Chetan Anand. Priya had shot into limelight with movies like Haqeqat and remained Chetan Anand’s girlfriend till he died. Priya was murdered on 27 March, 2000. The sessions court convicted Chetan’s two sons, Ketan and Vivek, for conspiring to kill Priya.
Their maid, Mala, and her aide, Ashokan, were also convicted. It was alleged that the sprawling Juhu bungalow of Chetan at Ruia Park (near Priya’s Mangal Kiran flat), where Priya had a one-third share, was the reason behind her murder.
