Landlord refused to return Rs 60,000 deposit until Mumbai Police intervened, says comedian Kashyap Swaroop

Screenshot of messages exchanged between the tenant Kashyap Swaroop and the landlord Vivek Bahadur. (Image credit: @LowKashWala/X)

A man in Mumbai sought help from the internet after his landlord refused to return Rs 60,000 of his deposit even after he vacated the property. Comedian Kashyap Swaroop claimed that he had paid Rs 1.2 lakh as a deposit and although his landlord had returned Rs 50,000, he was reluctant to release the rest of the money after minor deductions for maintenance.

"My landlord asked me to vacate my home before the termination of the lock-in period. He has yet to refund 60 percent of my security deposit despite my vacating the house in excellent condition. Are there any lawyers who can help recover the rest? He is avoiding my calls and messages," Swaroop who goes by @LowKashWala on X wrote.

What followed was an outpouring of support including assistance from the Mumbai Police.

Elaborating on what happened, Swaroop shared on an X thread that he had rented a flat in Versova's God's Gift Tower apartments and had paid Rs 1.2 lakh as a deposit which was supposed to be returned to him once he vacated the property. As per the screenshots of WhatsApp messages shared on X, the landlord Vivek Bahadur returned Rs 50,000 had promised to refund the rest via a cheque after the keys were handed over to him. Swaroop, however, wanted the money to be returned to him immediately-- and preferably via an online transfer--after the handover because he had to pay his new landlord.

Also, for anyone curious about the entire episode, here’s how it went down. I tried my best to follow best practices. It was difficult. pic.twitter.com/6NjbYcD81M

— Kashyap Swaroop (@LowKashWala) February 3, 2024

Meanwhile, according to the rent agreement, apparently, Bahadur owed Swaroop in case of an early eviction request, including losses borne by him in relocating. But as the disagreement continued for about three days, there were allegations of harassment and intimidation, before Swaroop decided to approach the Mumbai Police.

"Went to the cops. They called up the douche in question. Asked him to come to the police station to explain his side of the story. He immediately insisted he’d transferred the deposit. My bank statement showed he didn’t. An hour later, I had it," he said. "Deposit was Rs 1.2 lakh. I got back Rs 50,000 after vacating and Rs 60,000 after going to the cops. So got Rs 110K out of Rs 120K."

Read more: 'Do not tension': Hilarious exchange between Mumbai broker and prospective tenant is viral