Patna, Oct. 3: Partially locked up now, Udayan Mukherjee, one of the residents of Aparajita Keshav Kunj Apartment in the Frazer Road area, is facing a peculiar problem.

Following a court order, the district administration sealed the main gate of the apartment, but Mukherjee’s car parked in the underconstruction basement stands still, with no way to take it out.

“I don’t know what to do. My car was inside when the administration sealed the gate on October 1. The next day, the gate was opened but only partially, something that did not solve my problem, as I could not get my vehicle out. It is Durga Puja time and I need my car to take my family out. This is a major problem,” the man said. A.K. Jha, another resident of the building, is lucky, however.

“At the time of the incident, my car was out for repairs. As a result, I am thankful that it didn’t get locked up. Then, I cannot get it inside the apartment to park. I am parking it at a friend’s place, which I am sure is a problem for them as well as for us. Parking on the roadside is unsafe but I will have to opt for the same as I have got no choice,” Jha, a teacher, said.

The residents today are all prepared to approach Bihar State Human Rights Commission with a petition for the same. Some residents of the apartment said an e-mail regarding the same has been already sent to the commission and that a formal petition, which has been already drafted, will be put forward by next week, when the commission opens after the festive holidays.

“The petition has been drafted by a lawyer and will be put forward to the commission. It is a major problem for us, especially the women are still having problems going out. This is like literally locking up people. There are many kinds of insecurities. Suppose a person falls ill and has to be lifted and an ambulance is required. Those with two-wheelers are able to take their vehicle out somehow,” Mukherjee said.

At present, there are at least four to five cars belonging to residents parked outside.

“Their cars were out at the time of the incident. There are two cars that are inside the building basement and are stuck now. It is Puja time and people need their vehicles to venture out. They are forced to use autorickshaws and carrying daily chores have also become a problem. We expect that someone should help us,” Babloo Kumar, a resident, said.

Around 5.45pm on Saturday, the administration had totally sealed the apartment main gate owing to a court order, locking up many residents inside. Their ordeal continued for 17 hours after which the administration left a two-feet gap between the gates to let people pass through.

“The entire fun and frolic of the festive season for us is over now. We don’t know what to do. We hope that the commission helps us. The court was kept in the dark and not told that people are residing in the apartment,” K.P. Singh, the owner of the land on which the apartment stands, said.