Lavington Resident’s Arrest: DCI Uncovers Intriguing Details
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has elaborated on its decision to apprehend an elderly couple from Lavington, Nairobi County.
In a lengthy statement published on Sunday, the authority noted that the matter was initially reported by a 75-year-old UK resident named Munir Ahmed Chaundri, who argued that the parcel’s current occupants, Mahesh Kumar Bhatti and Anita Bhatti, illegally claimed ownership.
The complainant asserted that he bought the parcel in 1977 and rented it to a construction company with ties to the defendant in 1984. In 1987, the company acquired fifty percent of the land.
According to DCI, Chaundri reported the incident in February 2023 after accusing the couple of denying him access to the property, in contrast to previous occasions in which he was granted access.
In its findings, the directorate noted that the construction company “is a Kenyan company registered under the 2015 Companies Act, and Baldev Singh Bhatti is one of its directors/shareholders. Mahesh Kumar Bhatti is the son of Baldev Singh Bhatti, whose daughter-in-law is Anita Bhatti. This connects them to the aforementioned land.”
“The suspect in this case has not provided investigators with any ownership documents for the disputed property,” the statement continued.
A video of the elderly resident’s detention angered Kenyans, who accused the police of abusing their authority during the arrest.
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Some, including politician Robert Alai and activist Boniface Mwangi, argued that the police had disrupted the home’s tranquility by allowing unknown individuals to erect a fence.
“I am unsure if I could maintain the son’s composure. However, it is acceptable to refrain from causing pandemonium when you are helpless. Boniface Mwangi, an activist, argued, “I hope the old father receives justice in proper proportions.”
“This is a terrible nation, primarily because (leaders) want us to live under a dictatorship. Mwangi, a photojournalist by trade, added, “It’s sad, and we must find a way to fight back, even if it means enduring a little more pain to prevail.”
However, DCI argued that social media statements were misleading.
“After contemplating the aforementioned facts, the Director of Public Prosecution has ordered the prosecution of Mahesh Kumar Bhatti and Anita Bhatti for the crime of unlawful detention in violation of sections 91 and 36 of the Penal Code. “The suspects were released on a promise to appear in court to answer the above charges,” the DCI stated.
“Despite the unsubstantiated stories that went viral on social media, the facts and evidence that will be presented to the court in the coming days will reveal the truth,” the statement continued.
Section 91 of the Penal Code states, “Whoever, being in actual possession of land without right, holds possession of it in a manner likely to cause a breach of the peace or reasonable apprehension of a breach of the peace, is guilty of the misdemeanor known as a forcible detainer.”
Individuals convicted of the misdemeanor face a maximum of two years in prison, a fine, or both.
Lavington Resident’s Arrest: DCI Uncovers Intriguing Details