COURTESY MIRROR MAY 27
All is well, insists Ranjeeta’s husband
Masand’s allegations that wife and son abused and thrashed him resolved via police counselling; son receives police caution
| Sukhada Khandge & Gunwanti Paraste
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A day after Pune Mirror reported that the husband of yesteryear actress Ranjeeta Kaur, who resides in Pune’s Koregaon Park at present, had accused his wife and son of assaulting, threatening and extorting money from him, the family has declared that all is well.
Raj Ratan Masand (68) has further announced that his application to the senior citizen cell of Pune police last week – in which he had alleged that Ranjeeta (60) and their son Sky
(28) tried to push him off their fourth-floor balcony in the upscale Atur Park Housing Society – was just the outcome of a heated discussion.
On Sunday afternoon, the trio spoke to Mirror, asserting that they are back to normal as a happy family.
In a cover page report on May 26, this newspaper had highlighted that Raj was making rounds of police establishments over the past few days to lodge a complaint of abuse and threat to his life against his wife of 30 years and their son. He had further alleged that on May 23, Ranjeeta and Sky had attacked him, after which he approached the Mangaldas police chowky, and then the senior citizen cell. On May 25, he also filed an application stating that his son threatened him when he found out that the father approached the cops. The matter was referred to Koregaon Park police station, where on Saturday, Raj further told Mirror that the duo was engaged in a property dispute with him.
Quizzed about the allegations, both Ranjeeta and Sky had refused to comment. But the very next day, the former film star asserted, “Every family has some dispute – it was the same with us. My husband has a business in the United States of America, and my son also works in the same business. It was this dispute over business that crossed its limits and my husband thought of seeking help from the police.”
Raj seconded: “The dispute was over our shares in the business, which escalated. My son has never abused me and that day’s behaviour was something I have not experienced before. It was the most he has ever gotten physical with me. He approached me angrily. But, I was always sure I never wanted to file a first information report (FIR) over this issue. The police counselled us and we have sorted out our differences. We also signed an undertaking with the police that such an incident will never be repeated.”
Before returning a month ago, Raj resided in the US for many years and ran a chain of stores there. After 2007, Ranjeeta had also moved there and was running the same business with her spouse.
She shared: “I shot for my last film in 2007-08. It released in 2012 and was not a big hit. But I’ve always been a bit of a loner and liked my stay in the US. Since I am in Pune now and know what is happening in the Indian film scene, I am looking forward to the remake of my hit film Pati Patni Aur Woh.”
Seated in their plush and spacious 3BHK, the family could not stop talking about how they had been united after a bitter turn of events. Said Sky: “Like every father-son duo, we also had a fight that day, but it seems to have been exaggerated. I could never even dream of murdering my father or throwing him off the terrace. It was just a heated discussion and the reaction was based on the same.”
Added Raj: “I am trying to retire from my business in the US. This will take some time. But my son and I are social, we like Pune and we are looking forward to working together in the business.”
In a seemingly more relaxed state after the reunion, Ranjeeta also shared some personal titbits about her love for animals, which translates into feeding strays in the alleys of KP as well as rescuing a horse suffering from a foot injury. “As an actress, I have always stayed away from the media, but never thought my family dispute would be out in the open this way. I am sensitive towards animals, but basically prefer to spend time by myself. I have always stayed away from police matters – the only engagement I have with them is my love for watching Crime Patrol on television! I never imagined that my family would be involved in something like this. But we would like to tell everyone that we are a happy family and my husband still loves my son like any other father.”
“The trio’s family dispute was sorted out via counselling,” Senior Inspector Madan Bahaddarpure of Koregaon Park police station said.
“Raj was emotionally disturbed by his son’s anger and had gone to stay at Poona Club. When he approached us, Raj said he does not wish to file a complaint, but hopes for a resolution. We called his son and wife and counselled them all, advising the son to respect his father. We told him that his actions could be construed as criminal, despite which his father had not wanted to lodge a complaint. The son accepted his mistake and gave an undertaking that he would indulge in anything like this again.