Pune: Chaos unfolded in the early hours of Thursday morning as a dispute over the ownership of the renowned Hotel Vaishali on Fergusson College Road took an alarming turn. The daughter of the hotel’s founder, Jagannath B Shetty, found herself at the receiving end of death threats issued by her husband, who was accompanied by a group of hooligans.
The Deccan Gymkhana Police has taken action against Irfan Shaikh, Sunil Sandbhor, Vishwajit Jadhav, Chowdhary, and seven others for their involvement in an illegal assembly and issuing threats. Nikita Jagannath Shetty (34), a resident of Modibaug, Shivajinagar, filed a complaint at the Deccan Gymkhana Police Station.
Hotel Vaishali, established by Jagannath Shetty, has earned widespread fame. However, recent events took a dark turn when Nikita, Shetty’s daughter, got married to Vishwajit Jadhav. A police complaint was lodged after Jadhav allegedly threatened Nikita at gunpoint, demanding her to sign ownership documents of the hotel.
According to police reports, on Jadhav’s instructions, Irfan Shaikh forcibly broke open the hotel’s shutter lock at 6 am on Thursday, illegally gaining entry. Accompanied by Shaikh’s associates and Jadhav himself, along with Chowdhary, they proceeded to assault the hotel workers and herded them into a corner.
In an act of aggression, the group tore down the ownership board belonging to Nikita, removed the QR code, and tampered with the CCTV cameras, resulting in losses amounting to Rs 5,000. Chowdhary, one of the accused, issued threats to Nikita, claiming that he had forcibly taken over many such properties before. He further menaced her with dire consequences, including the threat of her life, if she did not vacate the property.
The matter is currently under investigation by PSI Bhosale. The incident has raised serious concerns over the safety and security of the founder’s daughter and the ongoing dispute over the ownership of the esteemed Hotel Vaishali.
