These are shaky times for the tenants of Kitab Mahal, a landmark building in the city's heritage precinct. They fear that the landlord is trying to displace them under the pretext of repairs, while simultaneously putting their lives at risk with alleged illegal alterations to the structure. This includes locking the staircase in the west wing, one of the main exit routes of the building.

Tenants alleged that the landlord, Moti Bhatia, had locked the staircase on the west (facing Excelsior Cinema), which the sole exit route from that side of the building. While the east side (facing D N Road) also has a staircase and an elevator, if a fire were to break out that side, the tenants would have nowhere to go. Niloufer Kapadia, a member of the Kitab Mahal Residents Welfare Association, said, "In case a fire breaks out, only the east staircase can be used. But if there is a fire in the east side, we will all be trapped. We are now fighting for the survival of the building."