Latest StoriesRegulatory

High-Priced Homes Out of Reach for Middle Class: Punjab HC

CHANDIGARH: The Punjab and Haryana High Court has raised grave concerns regarding the skyrocketing costs of residential plots and flats auctioned by government development agencies in the Tricity—Chandigarh, Panchkula, and Mohali—asserting these prices have made home ownership unattainable for middle-class and salaried professionals. The court has instructed the governments of Haryana, Punjab, and UT Chandigarh to develop a proposal aimed at addressing affordable housing, suggesting alternatives like lottery systems for all societal segments, including the salaried and middle class. “It seems that state authorities have begun prioritizing profit, abandoning the common citizen. The auction prices for residential properties are exorbitant,”…

Latest StoriesRegulatory

Cops File Second Chargesheet Against Radius Estates’ Promoter

MUMBAI: Authorities have filed a chargesheet against Sanjay Chhabria, the promoter of Radius Estates and Developers Pvt Ltd, for allegedly defrauding Yes Bank of ₹30.39 crore by misappropriating funds designated for a redevelopment initiative. In 2018, Chhabria secured a ₹50-crore overdraft for the Mhada redevelopment project “X BKC.” However, ₹30.39 crore of that amount was improperly redirected to related enterprises, such as Radius Enterprises and Sea Fuss Realty, rather than being utilized for the project’s intended purpose. According to the approval letter from April 2018, these funds were meant to address the project’s working capital needs and cash-flow discrepancies. Investigators…

Latest StoriesRegulatory

Mumbai Police nab Kolhapur developer in ₹55 crore scam

MUMBAI: The Economic Offences Wing of the city police has arrested a developer from Kolhapur for allegedly colluding with others to mortgage and sell flats in a redevelopment project in Versova, Andheri. This was done without the consent of the society members, using forged documents, resulting in a loss of Rs 55 crores. The arrested individual, Amrut Uttam Mahendrakar (34) from Ichalkaranji, is accused of aiding in the creation of forged documents and facilitating the illegal sale and mortgage of flats. He is the second suspect arrested in this case, following the capture of Amarjit Shukla, owner of Mid City…

Latest StoriesRegulatory

Bengaluru issues final warning to 1,010 property tax defaulters

BENGALURU: The Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) has issued a final warning to property owners who are overdue on their property taxes, with a total of Rs 33.9 crore pending from 1,010 property owners across the five city corporations. Special Commissioner (Revenue) Munish Moudgil stated that Rs 14.3 crore is owed by 510 significant defaulters, while Rs 19.6 crore is awaiting resolution in 500 property tax reassessment cases. “Zonal joint commissioners have been directed to accelerate the recovery from major defaulters and those in reassessment. The list of the top 50 defaulters and reassessment cases for each municipal corporation is now…

Latest StoriesRegulatory

Lucknow Civic Body Seals Seven Establishments for Tax Dues

LUCKNOW: On Monday, the Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC) sealed seven establishments across zones 2 and 4 as part of a drive to recover outstanding property and house tax from major defaulters. In zone 4, three government-sector buildings were sealed due to significant tax arrears. Zonal officer Shilpa Kumari stated that these institutions had received multiple notices to clear their dues, but payments were not forthcoming. The sealing process was initiated in accordance with municipal regulations. According to records, these three establishments collectively owe more than Rs 1.5 crore in property taxes. Officials confirmed that the enforcement team carried out the…

Latest StoriesRegulatory

Calcutta HC Cancels Builder’s Bail, Rejects ‘Sinful’ Protection

KOLKATA: The Calcutta High Court has revoked the bail granted to a builder involved in a cheating case by a lower court, stating that the liberty of an accused cannot be safeguarded by an order “born in sin”. Justice Uday Kumar noted that a bail order that is unsigned or partially initialed, lacks a rationale addressing the victim’s specific objections, and disregards witness intimidation history, constitutes a perverse ruling that the high court must annul. “This case showcases a troubling scenario where the liberty of the accused overshadowed the victim’s safety through an order that fails the fundamental requirements of…

Latest StoriesRegulatory

Karnataka HC: Cooperative Model Unsuitable for Apartment Management

BENGALURU: The high court has declared that a cooperative society is not a suitable method for managing residential apartments and their communal areas on behalf of owners. This ruling led to the cancellation of the registration for the Sobha HRC Pristine Apartment Owners Cooperative Society in Jakkur. Justice MG Uma issued the order while accepting a petition from Msrs Sobha Limited, nullifying the registration that had been granted by the assistant registrar of cooperative societies in the Bengaluru Urban district on September 6, 2023. Additionally, the court overturned a decision made on February 7, 2024, by the deputy registrar of…

Latest StoriesRegulatory

Ludhiana Issues Notices to Builders Over Unapproved Constructions

Sure! Here’s a rewritten version of your content: Representative Image LUDHIANA: In a strong move against unregulated development, the Greater Ludhiana Area Development Authority (GLADA) has issued warnings to owners of unauthorized constructions. This action is part of a broader initiative targeting structures that do not comply with official building regulations. Recently, a notice was issued to a property owner for carrying out commercial activities and exceeding the sanctioned building limits as per the permit granted on April 19, 2024. Another notice followed due to a serious structural violation where the owner constructed a basement along with four additional floors,…

Latest StoriesRegulatory

NGT Orders Ghaziabad DM to Clear Lakefront Residential Colony

GHAZIABAD: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has identified a portion of land in Pasunda village, Loni, previously documented as a lake in revenue records, where a residential project is being developed. The tribunal has ordered the district administration to eliminate encroachments and safeguard the waterbody. An NGO, Society for Voice of Human Rights and Justice, filed the case, claiming illegal conversion of the lake into a residential colony. The petition referenced alterations in land mutation for development by Mahalaxmi Land and Finance Company involving survey numbers 1564 and 2476. The petitioner stated that approximately 0.961 hectares of land under revenue…

Latest StoriesRegulatory

Nazul Land Reclaimed by Administration in Kanpur

Representative image KANPUR: District Magistrate Jitendra Pratap Singh of Kanpur Nagar took decisive action on Friday regarding the sale of a valuable Nazul property in Civil Lines to a private builder. He issued a government re-entry order for plot no. 14/59A, Civil Lines, mandating that it be re-registered as unallocated government land. The land was valued at roughly Rs 24.77 crore according to the current circle rate. The situation came to light following a joint investigation by the sub-divisional magistrate (Sadar), the assistant officer in charge of Nazul, and the tehsildar (Sadar). They discovered that the nazul allottees had failed…