Moviegoers at Eros in the Churchgate area were in for a rude shock on the afternoon of January 18, 2017 when they were asked to leave the cinema house in the middle of a show. Diners at restaurants located in Cambata Building were also thrown out with shops and offices being closed down when the city collector’s office summarily sealed the entrances and attached the building. At the root of this action was a long pending litigation in the labor court involving Rs 4.45 crores of unpaid wages to staff of Cambata Aviation Private Limited, former ground handlers at the Bombay airport.
Cambata Bulding which houses Eros cinema Photo: Jasmine D. Driver
Relief came the next day as the result of a petition in the Bombay High Court filed by the Cambata Trust, landlords of the building. Expressing displeasure at the collector’s action, the High Court directed the state government to remove the seal and attachment of the entire building. The Court held that though the state had a right to recover its dues, its actions must not force out other tenants or occupants who were not involved in the matter, reported The Indian Express on January 20. The Times of India of the same day reported that Cambata Aviation was sent a notice on October 26, 2016 by the district administration to deposit a certain amount within 30 days. Though further notices were sent, the company reportedly failed to cooperate.
Mumbai Mirror wrote on January 19 that Cambata Aviation, founded in 1967 by Kersi Cambata started losing business due to fierce competition, labor issues and high operational costs. On August 9, 2016, the company wrote to employees asking them not to report for work after the firm lost all ground handling contracts to rival service providers.