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Renting a Flat Doesn’t Strip Homebuyers of Consumer Rights: SC

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court has ruled that simply renting or leasing out a residential apartment does not automatically remove the buyer’s status as a “consumer” eligible for rights under consumer protection laws. A bench composed of Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and N V Anjaria stated that the responsibility lies with the property builder to demonstrate that the primary reason for purchasing the apartment was for “commercial purposes” to exclude the buyer from being classified as a “consumer.” The bench noted that section 2(1)(d) of the Consumer Protection Act defines a “consumer” as anyone who purchases goods or services for…

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Pune to Seize 58 Properties for Tax Defaults

PUNE: The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has initiated the process of attaching 58 properties, primarily commercial establishments, belonging to tax defaulters to meet its financial goal for the 2025-26 fiscal year, according to civic officials on Wednesday. “The civic administration is emphasizing action against significant tax defaulters. Special teams have been deployed for these confiscations,” stated Ravi Pawar, head of PMC’s property tax department. Data from PMC indicates that around Rs 5,500 crore is yet to be recovered from defaulters. While activists have praised the crackdown, they urge PMC to take more stringent actions, such as filing criminal complaints against…

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SC aids Supertech buyers, upholds NCLAT order for NBCC takeover

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court has intervened to assist thousands of frustrated homebuyers who have waited nearly two decades for their dream homes. On Thursday, the court upheld an NCLAT directive for the state-owned NBCC to swiftly complete 16 housing projects by the financially troubled realty firm Supertech Limited. The court has prohibited all tribunals and high courts from issuing orders that could hinder construction efforts by the National Buildings Construction Corporation (NBCC) Limited. A bench, comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi, invoked its extraordinary powers under Article 142 of the Constitution, affirming the December 12, 2024,…

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Ajnara Homes Fined by Greater Noida for STP Issues

NOIDA: The Greater Noida Industrial Development Authority (GNIDA) has levied a penalty of ₹50 lakh on Ajnara Homes in Sector 16B due to a malfunctioning sewage treatment plant (STP) and the discharge of untreated sewage. An additional fine of over ₹4 lakh was imposed for improper solid waste management. The residential society, consisting of approximately 2,300 flats, generates around 1.15 million litres per day (MLD) of sewage. During inspections, officials discovered that untreated sewage was being funneled into a drain and, following a blockage in that drain, it began flooding the basements of adjacent homes. Residents stated that the STP…

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Delhi Court Summons M3M India Promoters in Cheating Case

NEW DELHI: A Delhi court has acknowledged a chargesheet submitted by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) against M3M India Pvt Ltd and its promoters—Basant Bansal, Roop Bansal, and Pankaj Bansal—regarding an alleged land fraud case involving MGF Developments Ltd. Chief Judicial Magistrate Harshita Mishra stated that there are sufficient grounds to proceed against the accused under sections 406 (criminal breach of trust), 420 (cheating), 120B (criminal conspiracy), and 34 (common intention), summoning them to appear in court on April 4. “At the cognizance stage, this Court only needs to determine whether there are sufficient grounds for proceeding, not whether the…

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Survey Nearby Buildings of Heritage Sites: Delhi HC

NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court has instructed authorities to undertake a thorough survey of all buildings situated near the city’s heritage sites to ensure compliance with established regulations. A bench comprising Chief Justice DK Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia recently directed the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to conduct this survey while addressing several petitions highlighting potential violations surrounding heritage structures throughout the capital. The court acknowledged that the petitions raised significant issues regarding the preservation of the character and integrity of heritage properties. It pointed out that construction activities near these sites can often alter their visual and…

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Noida Techie Death: Planner’s Director Seeks High Court Relief

NOIDA: A Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) court denied bail on Monday to Abhay Kumar, a director of MZ Wiztown Planners Pvt. Ltd., who was arrested in connection with the death of software engineer Yuvraj Mehta. The court has extended Kumar’s judicial remand by 10 days, scheduling the next hearing for February 13. Despite the lower court’s decision, Kumar’s legal team filed a habeas corpus writ petition with the Allahabad High Court, and the case is set for a hearing on Tuesday. Counsel Swastik Verma stated that Kumar’s arrest by the Greater Noida police failed to adhere to “basic legal provisions,”…

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EOW Arrests HR Officer of Shine City in Lucknow

LUCKNOW: The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) arrested a woman on Monday in relation to the Shine City real estate scam, which allegedly defrauded investors of crores of rupees across multiple districts in Uttar Pradesh. According to an EOW press release, the accused has been identified as Preeti Singh from Jankipuram. She was employed as a human resources officer at Shine City’s office in Vibhuti Khand, Gomtinagar, and acted as an authorized signatory for buyers’ agreements on behalf of the Shine City Group. Shine City Infra Project Pvt Ltd reportedly attracted investors with offers of low-cost residential plots and appealing investment…

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SC asks Maharashtra govt, civic body to respond on slum rehab plea

File photo NEW DELHI: On Monday, the Supreme Court sought responses from the Maharashtra government and the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai regarding a petition that challenges a Bombay High Court ruling allowing slum rehabilitation schemes on plots originally designated for parks, gardens, and playgrounds. On June 19, 2025, the Bombay High Court upheld the legitimacy of a regulation concerning slum rehabilitation schemes, seeking to balance Mumbai’s critical need for green spaces with the constitutional right to shelter. It endorsed Regulation 17(3)(D)(2) of the Development Control and Promotion Regulations (DCPR) 2034, which permits the execution of slum rehabilitation schemes on…

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NGT Penalizes Goa CZMA in Sand Mining Violations

Representative AI image PANAJI: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has imposed a Rs 50,000 penalty on the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) for repeatedly requesting extensions to file replies in ongoing sand mining cases. The tribunal highlighted that GCZMA had been allowed four weeks to submit its response but failed to do so, even after a reminder in August of last year. “We are granting one week’s time for them to file their affidavit, contingent on the payment of Rs 50,000 to the National Green Tribunal Bar Association, Western Zone Bench, considering that 12 matters had to be postponed…