- Arnab Saha shared a viral post about his landlord's intrusive behavior in Kolkata
- Landlord called caretaker and parents after Saha's female friend visited his flat
- Landlord threatened to file an FIR against Saha for having a guest briefly
A post by a Kolkata-based professional has gone viral after he shared an incident with his landlord that many online are calling an overreaction and a breach of privacy. Arnab Saha, who works as an associate consultant at a Big 4 firm, took to X to describe what happened and question whether his landlord had any legal right to act the way he did.
According to Saha, the incident took place on April 12. In his post, he said he was out with a woman friend when she needed to use a washroom. Since his rented accommodation was nearby, he offered to take her there briefly so she could use the facilities before they left again.
However, things escalated almost immediately. Saha claimed that within minutes of them entering the flat, the building's caretaker informed the landlord about the woman's presence. The situation took a more serious turn when the landlord tried to contact Saha. Since his phone was on silent, he missed the call. According to his post, the landlord then chose to escalate the matter further by reaching out to his parents. Saha alleged that the landlord not only informed his family but also threatened to involve the police.
"It's not even 5 minutes. The caretaker of the flat called the owner and said that Arnab is bringing a girl here. The owner called me; my phone was silent, and he called my parents and threatened them that he would file an FIR on me. When we got out, maybe 15 minutes at max, I saw so many calls from the owner and parents. I picked them one by one and came to realise what happened to me in just 15 mins," Saha wrote.
"Is it that easy to put an FIR on a person, I am paying him money, and also in cash; he doesn't take the full amount in GPay ever. I agreed to follow all his stupid laws, like you can't own a black cat, to everything, but still my parents are getting threats of an FIR??? I don't know any lawyer or anyone? "Is it really possible?" he asked X users.
See the post here:
The post quickly gained traction on social media, drawing a wide range of reactions. Many users criticised the landlord's actions, calling them intrusive and inappropriate, especially the decision to contact a tenant's parents. Others suggested that Saha should consider moving out or look into legal remedies, arguing that tenants are entitled to a reasonable degree of privacy in their rented homes.
One user wrote, "Do one thing: just say that from next month you'll declare the rent as an expense and will report his PAN. Also mention that you will declare to IT that you have been paying all your rent in cash, and he will be asked to declare. See the reaction next."
Another commented, "Why does he feel the need to be your parent when you are a functioning adult? Is it that hard to mind your own business? Start with abusing the people who don't respect your boundaries. Why does a tenanted flat need a caretaker?"
A third said, "This is straight-up harassment," while a fourth added, "Honestly, that landlord sounds pretty toxic." You're probably better off just moving out and finding a new place."
