Sheila Kini~ 5 years later |
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CASE IN POINTS
July 23, 1996: Ramesh Kini found dead in Alka theatre, Pune
November 27, 1996: CBI takes over the investigations from the CID
August 29, 1997: CBI submits investigation report
August 30, 1997: CBI files chargesheets against Laxmichand Shah, Suman Shah and Ashutosh Rane. They are charged with criminal conspiracy to force Ramesh Kini to vacate his flat at Laxmi Nivas, Matunga, and later commit suicide.
Laxmichand Shah and Suman Shah are the owners of Laxmi Nivas while Ashutosh Rane was the leader of Shiv Sena's student wing. Raj Thackeray's name does not figure.
March 6, 2000: Small Causes Court declares Sheila Kini a lawful tenant of Laxmi Nivas Today, it is exactly five years since Matunga resident Sheila Kini was involuntarily thrust into the media limelight after her husband Ramesh was found dead in mysterious circumstances in a Pune theatre.
What has become of the widow in all these years? A close family friend of the Kinis said, on condition of anonymity, that Sheila has become a loner. Her life centres around her son Nikhil who is very bright. She does not take aid from charitable institutions for his education though. Most of the financial support comes from Sheila's sisters and their children.
Sheila's niece Urmi has been quite a help for the Kinis. She stayed with them for quite some time after Ramesh's death. Urmi is now posted in Singapore where she recently took Sheila and Nikhil on a month's vacation. Nikhil, who is studying in the second year at Khalsa College, King's Circle, has even bought a computer, a family friend added.
 Sheila used to sell chivda and snacks and stitch clothes earlier, while Nikhil helped her by painting greeting cards and selling them. But the family friend says that they have stopped this now.
Cut to 1996. Following what was termed as Ramesh's suicide, Sheila and her relatives had alleged that their landlord Laxmichand Shah and his son Suman had been forcing them to quit their residence. The Shahs wanted their tenants to leave in order to construct a multi-storey building in place of the current structure. Shiv Sena leader Raj Thackeray was said to be helping the Shahs in getting the Kinis out. His supporters had also apparently threatened the Kinis.
Though Raj's name did not figure in the FIR, his closest aide, Ashutosh Rane and the Shahs were arrested for allegedly driving Ramesh Kini to suicide. The case is still being heard in court while the accused are out on bail.
Cut to present. Sheila Kini simply refuses to speak to the press today, because she feels that will help her in the justice process. She refused to speak to us too.
 Dr Vishwas Dixit, a neighbour who has been helping the Kinis after Ramesh's death, thinks that is only natural. "Some politicians capitalised on this issue. When Ramesh's body was being brought into the house, a senior politician told me, 'Zaanara manoos gela, aplyaala kai ghena dena? Mala tar phakt Rajcha nav paper madhye yaayla hava (The person is dead and gone, why should I be bothered now? I just want Raj's name to appear in the papers)'. None of them helped her get justice. Most people helped her for ulterior motives 'mainly for the publicity of having helped Sheila Kini.'
Dixit was present during the second postmortem of Kini. "He had torture marks on his body, especially on the breast bone. The torture marks were enough to prove he was killed. I had told this to Central Bureau of Investigation Superintendent of Police Harbans Singh. He just laughed and asked me how I knew it was a murder."
Dixit who stays in the building next to the Kini residence says, "Suman used to my patient earlier. Now because of this case, he has become my enemy."
The Shahs have since shifted their residence from Laxmi Nivas, Matunga, to Worli. The Z-category protection provided by the then prime minister H D Deve Gowda to Sheila Kini's family has been withdrawn long ago. Sheila Kini doesn't seem to be fazed by this. Neighbours say she is quite confident of managing her problems and finding her way to justice.
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