By Arun Pratap Singh
Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 9 Jun: Sharad Kashyap, Director of Pestle Weed School, Dehradun, held a press conference at Uttaranchal Press Club today during which he reported alleged harassment by his parents and brother over a property dispute and claimed that he has been threatened regularly by them. He also cited certain recent incidents in this connection and reminded that while he is living in his rooms within the Pestle Weed campus, locks to his rooms were broken on 31 May and again on 2 June. He also alleged that his estranged family members have made defamatory public statements against him.
It may be recalled that Garhwal Post had earlier published a report in which Kashyap had claimed threat to his life and property.
Kashyap asserted that he has genuine reason to fear for his life and personal safety, alleging that he is being repeatedly pressurised by his father Prem Kashyap, who is President of Pestle Weed, his mother Kiran Kashyap, and his brother Akash Kashyap, to transfer his 32 per cent shareholding in Kashyap Edutech Private Limited to them free of cost through a gift deed. In addition, Kashyap stated that he also has exclusive properties of around 15 bighas of land adjacent to Pestle Weed and the family is pressurising him to transfer this property to them at a grossly undervalued price and then to leave Dehradun for good.
Kashyap also shared that he has submitted written complaints to Dehradun Police where he has informed the police that private bouncers and armed security personnel were deployed at his residence at Oak Hill Estate, Mussoorie Diversion Road, allegedly to prevent him from entering his own home and to intimidate him. His room was reportedly vandalised and his bathroom wall hammered and broken, with video recordings of the harassment and damage available. Kashyap also claimed that he has video recordings and other evidences to substantiate his claims. He added that the family has also disconnected the water and electricity connections serving his residence, compelling him to call the 112 Emergency Flying Squad, which attended the premises. Two written complaints dated 3 June and 8 June seeking registration of FIRs have been submitted to Rajpur Police Station and officially received by the police.
Sharad Kashyap further alleged that recent newspaper advertisements published by Prem Kashyap and Kiran Kashyap contained false and defamatory allegations concerning his character and conduct, causing serious damage to his personal and professional reputation. He added that he would respond to these false allegations in a legal manner and in this regard, a legal notice has been issued to them in response to those publications.
Kashyap stated that his primary aim behind holding the press conference today was to bring this to the public domain for the sake of his safety and to effectively respond to the defamatory statements made against him and to the continuing intimidation that he has faced. He asserted that he has complete faith in the Constitution of India, the judiciary and the police and therefore he is pursuing legal options but he understands that a legal recourse occasionally takes undue time and he wishes to secure his life and property meanwhile by bringing the facts before the media and the world. He also praised the cooperation received from the authorities and the assistance provided in restoring law and order when he had sought help. Now he seeks only what every citizen is entitled to, that is protection of life and the equal protection of the law. Recent incidents involving fatal violence arising out of property disputes in Dehradun have reinforced his concern for his personal safety. Citing some recent murder cases in Dehradun involving family members he asserted that he does not want to become yet another newspaper photograph or another statistic and therefore he urges the authorities to continue providing me with protection and to ensure that the rule of law prevails.
