The high drama that occurred on March 1, 2022 before a Bombay High Court division bench of Justices Shahrukh Kathawalla and Milind Jadhav has been referred to in detail by the Justices in their written judgment. The matter pertained to drawing up the schedule for the forthcoming Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) elections now set for May 29. Former BPP chairman Dinshaw Mehta (pictured) and potential candidate Farhanaz (Farah) Irani caused the disturbance that resulted in the parties being asked to vacate the courtroom.
"Dinshaw Mehta, who was a trustee of the BPP for a period of 21 years, and who is the father of sitting trustee Viraf Mehta, and also the father of advocate Hormuz Mehta who is representing Rumy Zarir, started disturbing the Court by reiterating his objections to the Scheme. On two or three occasions we requested Dinshaw Mehta not to disturb the court proceedings. He insisted that he wished to be heard since he is an intervenor in the matter. He was informed by the Court that his intervention application pertains to objections to the proposed Scheme for the Election of Trustees of the Funds and Immoveable Properties of the Parsi Punchayet of Bombay which we had orally indicated on February 25, 2022 to be sanctioned and which is finally sanctioned on March 1, 2022, that his intervention application has therefore come to an end. In any event, Dinshaw Mehta was heard on February 22, 2022 and he was present in Court on February 25, 2022. He was informed that he has no right to disturb the Court when the Court is framing the election schedule and hearing the advocates for the trustees in this regard.
"In the face of such behavior, the Court warned Mehta that if he continues to disturb the Court proceedings, the Court will be constrained to call police constables posted outside the courtroom to escort him out… Mehta, in response, unnecessarily continued to engage in such conduct by stating that he is aware of the powers of the Court. The Court once again informed him that though the Court has powers to make him leave the Court, the Court would prefer not to do so. It was made clear to Dinshaw Mehta that unless he restrains himself, the Court will have to order his removal from the courtroom so that the proceedings may continue uninterrupted.
"Mehta continued to disturb the Court, and a lady who is later identified as Farhanaz (Farah) Irani (who had never appeared before the Court in these proceedings pursuant to the notice dated February 6, 2022 inviting objections to the proposed amended scheme and was present before us for the first time, after the proposed scheme was advertised, considered, and indicated to be sanctioned) who appeared to be accompanying Mehta also started disturbing the Court proceedings by repeatedly saying that she should be allowed to address the Court for two minutes, despite the Court informing her that the Court is rejecting her request.
"Since Dinshaw Mehta and Farhanaz (Farah) Irani continued to disturb the proceedings of the Court, the Court called the police constables posted outside the court room to escort them to leave the courtroom. This Court strongly deprecates the conduct of Dinshaw Mehta as well as Farhanaz (Farah) Irani.
"The Court simultaneously asked the parties to leave the court save and except the advocates appearing in the matter so that the Court could frame the election schedule as per clauses 14 and 15 of the consent minutes of the Order dated January 12, 2022, and also consider the names of the Commissioners proposed by the trustees.”
Prior to her insistence on being permitted to address the Court, Irani pestered and distracted the Parsiana reporter present to write something or the other while Mehta was exchanging words with Kathawalla. Despite being told by the reporter to desist, she persisted in doing so till BPP trustee Kersi Randeria told her to move away. She then interrupted the Court proceedings asking for permission to speak for "two minutes.” Her request was turned down by the Justices but she persisted to ask for "two minutes.” The exasperated Justices then ordered everyone out barring the lawyers.
Irani was a trusteeship candidate for the elections when they were earlier announced for March last year.