Lawrence Gets Back His Property...

Lawrence Dsouza and Monthin Dsouza

Lawrence D’Souza, an 80-year-old from Baikady, Brahmavara, has spent a lifetime building a home. Being a truck and bus driver for over five decades, he toiled day and night to provide a better life for his family. Though he never had the privilege of formal education, he made sure that all four of his children received the best schooling possible.

Life wasn’t easy, but Lawrence and his wife, Monthin, stood by each other through every hardship. In 1997, the Karnataka government allotted him a small plot in Baikady, where he constructed a simple metal-roofed house.

Trusting his daughter, Precilla Anil, he transferred the house to her through a gift deed. But as fate would have it, things didn’t go as he had hoped. When things took an unexpected turn, he was left with no option but to fight in order to take back the home that he had built with his own hands.

The Senior Citizens Tribunal in Kundapura ruled that the gift deed was invalid and confirmed that Lawrence had been treated unfairly. It ordered the sub-registrar to update the Panchayat records and return the house to his name.

The Human Right Protection Foundation, Udupi, stood with Lawrence in his fight for justice by providing him legal support and guidance throughout the proceeding. The organization has vowed to continue helping him until he and his wife receive the justice they deserve.

For Lawrence D’Souza, this victory is not just about reclaiming a house; it’s about reclaiming his dignity, his rights, and the security of a home that he has built with his own hands.