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Uttarakhand HC Halts HRDA’s Plotting on Agricultural Land

DEHRADUN: On Wednesday, the Uttarakhand High Court instructed the Haridwar-Roorkee Development Authority (HRDA) to revoke its permission for plotting and group housing on agricultural and orchard land within a week. A division bench comprising Chief Justice Manoj Kumar Gupta and Justice Subhash Upadhyay was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) alleging that the development authority was flouting previous High Court and Supreme Court rulings. They warned that non-compliance could lead to contempt proceedings. The PIL, filed in 2023 by Haridwar resident Atul Kumar Chauhan, referenced a High Court order from June 19, 2018, which prohibited such developments on agricultural and…

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Cheating Case Filed Against 150+ Landowners in Nashik

NASHIK: The Sarkarwada police have registered a cheating case involving over 150 landowners and developers. They are accused of neglecting the mandatory 20% reservation for economically weaker section (EWS) housing in residential projects exceeding 4,000sqm. The complaint was filed on March 7 by an officer from the land records department, stemming from an inquiry initiated by a committee led by the additional district collector. This investigation aimed to confirm whether developers were complying with government regulations requiring that 20% of land in projects larger than 4,000sqm be set aside for EWS housing, as stated in state housing policies from 2013…

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Mumbai Court Grants Anticipatory Bail to Mazgaon Developer

MUMBAI: A Session Court has granted anticipatory bail to developer Munaf Vadgama and four of his relatives accused in a case of cheating and criminal breach of trust related to a redevelopment dispute in Mazgaon. Additional Session Judge Avinash P. Kulkarni permitted anticipatory bail, stating that if Sajida Munaf Vadgama, Aslam Ismail Merchant, Munaf Kadar Vadgama, and Tausif Hanif Shaikh are arrested, they should be released on bail concerning the case registered at Sir J. J. Marg Police Station. The case, lodged under Sections 406 and 420 of the Indian Penal Code, stems from a complaint by Julie Coelho. She…

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SC Urges CBI Probe into Builders-Banks Nexus, Homebuyers’ Woes

NEW DELHI: On Wednesday, the Supreme Court criticized the CBI regarding its investigation into the alleged “unholy nexus” between banks and developers that has reportedly led to homebuyers in Delhi-NCR and other regions being defrauded. The court emphasized that any delays in the probe would only exacerbate the suffering of affected flat buyers. A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi took issue with the CBI’s claim that several cases of fraud under the subvention scheme should be handed over to state agencies for further investigation. The bench rejected this proposal and instructed…

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ED Seizes ₹313.12 Crore in Ansal Group Money Laundering Case

NEW DELHI: On Wednesday, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) announced the attachment of immovable properties valued at ₹313.12 crore as part of its ongoing probe into Ansal Properties and Infrastructure Ltd (APIL) and its promoters. This action stems from allegations of financial misappropriation and fraudulent diversion of funds collected from homebuyers. These properties include residential land parcels totaling 9.08 hectares, situated in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, and are registered under the names of companies affiliated with APIL. The ED’s Lucknow zonal office executed the attachment under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002. The investigation was prompted by 278 FIRs lodged…

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BMC Targets 6,922 Properties for ₹6,000 Crore Tax Dues

Certainly! Here’s a rewritten version of the content with a focus on clarity and conciseness: MUMBAI: The BMC has initiated action against 6,922 properties due to property tax dues totaling ₹6,089 crore. Additionally, 483 properties belonging to defaulters have been seized, with plans to auction off 210 properties. Following the start of seizure actions, 2,888 property owners have paid over ₹784 crore in taxes. As of Tuesday, ₹6,024 crore has been collected, representing 82.1% of the total property tax owed. Seizure actions were executed against six units in the Hallmark commercial building located in Government Colony, Bandra. Three unit holders…

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Builder Defrauded of Crores by Forged Land Docs; Staffer Arrested

GURUGRAM: A real estate company based in Sohna has reportedly lost crores of rupees due to a fraudulent scheme involving forged documents that altered a land development agreement. This also included the cancellation of a registered General Power of Attorney (GPA). As of Monday, police have detained one more individual from the company, raising the total number of arrests to five. The scam was discovered after representatives from Yashdeep Builders lodged a complaint regarding their collaboration with a landowner in 2018 for developing a specific piece of land. For this project, the company invested heavily and secured a GPA in…

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ED Charges Five with Laundering ₹36.66 Crore from Sand Mining

PATNA: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has lodged a prosecution complaint in the Special PMLA Court in Patna against Arun Yadav, Kiran Devi, Rajesh Kumar Ranjan, and Dipu Kumar, as well as their company, Kiran Durga Contractors Pvt Ltd, for money laundering. This case centers around substantial illegal funds generated primarily through unauthorized sand mining in Bihar, alongside corruption and related criminal activities. The investigation commenced following multiple FIRs filed by Bihar Police and the Special Vigilance Unit alleging various offenses, including cheating, extortion, illegal sand mining, and possession of assets disproportionate to their lawful income. During the inquiry, the ED…

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Nashik Civic Body Gathers ₹272 Crore in Property Tax FY26

NASHIK: The Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) has achieved a record property tax collection of Rs 272 crore in the financial year 2025-26, marking the highest amount in its 43-year history. Officials anticipate an additional Rs 10-15 crore to be collected in the remaining 21 days of the fiscal year. The target set for property tax collection was Rs 270 crore. Officials cited a significant boost from the 15-day amnesty scheme for tax defaulters, conducted from February 23 to March 9, which generated Rs 46 crore in outstanding dues. “During this period, over 13,000 defaulters cleared arrears totaling Rs 45 crore…

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Maharashtra: New Stamp Duty Penalty Starts January 1

PUNE: The increased penalty of ₹1 lakh for executing property documents without adequate stamp duty will be effective from January 1, 2026. An official from the Inspector General of Registration (IGR) office confirmed this on Monday, stating, “The amendment was notified on December 31, 2025, and will be enforced starting January 1, 2026. Any case registered concerning a shortfall in stamp duty post this date will be subjected to the revised penalty.” During the Maharashtra Budget presentation for 2026-27 on March 6, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis emphasized this change, proposing an increase in the penalty from the existing ₹5,000 to…