KAMPALA – As the Departed Asians’ Property Custodian Board (DAPCB) continues to dispute Mr Sudhir Ruparelia’s ownership of Plot 24, Kampala Road on which Kampala Boulevard was built, a 2012 court ruling shows that the businessman legally acquired the building.
DAPCB claims that some companies and individuals including Sudhir’s Meera Investments acquired some properties of departed Asians illegally, and that the Board considers their repossession audit and verification of fraudulent.
Earlier, DAPCB had taken a decision that Sudhir was not the owner of Plot 24 Kampala Road thus stopping him from developing the land in question.
But Justice Joseph Murangira of the Kampala Land Division of the High Court, in a 2012 ruling on the matter, indicates that Meera Investments approached the former owners of that land, Rameshchandra Bhowan Kataria and the late Kershavlal Premchard Shah, before they were granted a certificate of repossession and they agreed to sell their estate and interest that is the property. He said they sold and transferred to Meera Investments.
“This is reflected in the respondent’s letter dated January 5, 1995 (repossession certificate is dated March 31, 1995) signed by Mr Sam Male although he has since changed in the respondent’s affidavit in reply,” the judge added.
The judge also stated that the documents of evidence presented in court by Meera investments show that Sudhir bought the property from the original owners. Furthermore, the authenticity of these documents was not challenged by the respondents (DAPCB) and were, therefore, are taken to have been admitted by the respondents.
“An order of prohibition against the respondent (DAPCB) to stop enforcement of the above decisions is granted to the applicant (Meera Investments). The respondent is accordingly prohibited from enforcing its decisions as against the applicant,” Justice Murangira ruled.
“The applicant[Meera Investment] is the lawful owner of the land comprised in Freehold Register volume 1082 Folio 1 Plot 24 Kampala Road. The respondents shall pay the costs of this application to the applicant.”
Since that ruling in 2012, there have not been any appeals for the matter and so the court order still stands confirming that the land belongs to Sudhir/Meera Investments.
