BPP PRESS RELEASE – NEW DATE OF ELECTION ANNOUNCED

APPEALATE BENCH OF THE BOMBAY HIGH COURT REJECTS PRAYER TO HOLD ELECTIONS ON MARCH 14, 2021

* SETS FRESH DATE OF MAY 23, 2021*

We Trustees of the Bombay Parsi Panchayat had postponed the elections scheduled to take place on March 14, 2021, given the heightened COVID-19 pandemic situation in Mumbai.

As promised to the community, we had sought for an extension for two months as a result of the rising COVID-19 cases so as to enable our elderly members of the community to get vaccinated. We urge all senior members of the community to take advantage on the vaccine drive and get duly vaccinated.

In the appeal filed by Kersi Randeria and Noshir Dadreala earlier today seeking to hold elections on March 1, 2021, the Hon’ble Justice Kathawala and Hon’ble Justice Joshi rejected the appeal and were pleased to order fresh elections on May 23, 2021 allowing our elderly members to take advantage to get vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus.

The Order passed by Hon’ble Justice Menon dated March 11, 2021 in the petitions filed by Trustees Kersi Randeria and Noshir Dadrewala and candidates Mrs. Anahita Desai and Kaikushroo Irani clearly states that the decision of postponing the elections by us has been taken in right earnest and in the interest of the voter electorate at large.

Hon’ble Justice Menon has further held that it was important to ensure that the community members were protected and postponement of the elections by a few months was the only option. To conclude Hon’ble Justice Menon has held “Save and except for assurance that all measures to ensure safe distancing will be followed, in practical terms, as we have noticed, even in public places where these controls are sought to be imposed, safe distancing is still very difficult and, in these circumstances, there is no reason to interfere with the decision of the trust to postpone the elections, which is prima facie appears to be for the benefit of members of community.”

Despite the false messages floating that postponing elections is to hold on to an imaginary majority on the Board of Trustees, we have kept our commitment to the community to postpone the elections by two months. We thank all the members of the community who have stood by our decision to delay the elections due to rising cases of COVID-19.

We will shortly be announcing the schedule for fresh election which will now take place on May 23, 2021.

Regards,

Armaity Tirandaz – Chairman, BPP
Xerxes Dastur – Trustee, BPP
Viraf Mehta – Trustee, BPP