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Madras HC Urges Authorities to Maintain Legal Sand Quarrying

Representative Image MADURAI: The Madras High Court has emphasized that authorities must adhere to regulations to prevent illegal activities during sand quarrying operations. This ruling came during the consideration of a public interest litigation filed in 2024 by L Karthick, president of the Salem East District Sand and M-Sand Lorry Owners Welfare Association. The petitioner requested that officials enforce the guidelines established by the government in a 2022 directive by restoring the Tamil Nadu Sand Web Service Portal (TN Sand App) and the ‘Investigator App’ with all previous features intact, facilitating the sale of river sand directly at quarry sites…

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SC Upholds Bombay HC Order on Bandra Church Land Acquisition

MUMBAI: The Supreme Court, emphasizing the “invisible yet pervasive influence of powerful private developers” involved in land acquisitions under the Maharashtra Slum Areas (Improvement, Clearance and Redevelopment) Act, has upheld a Bombay High Court ruling that invalidated the acquisition of Church Trust land at Mount Mary in Bandra by the Slum Redevelopment Authority (SRA) on Friday. The SC noted that the Trust has shown interest in redeveloping the land since 2013. In a landmark ruling, the SC bench consisting of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan stressed the need for practical and actionable safeguards within a legal framework amid competing…

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Bombay HC Urges Strict Safety Adherence for High-Rise Buildings

MUMBAI: The Bombay High Court has mandated that all planning authorities incorporate a specific condition regarding adherence to “special safety control recommendations for working at heights during high-rise construction” when issuing development permissions for high-rise buildings, as per an expert committee’s report. The state informed the court that directives were issued on August 20 to all municipal corporations and councils to ensure these recommendations are followed. This follows the court’s previous orders highlighting significant safety lapses, particularly regarding machinery such as suspended cranes used in high-rise construction projects. The bench comprising Justices Girish Kulkarni and Manjusha Deshpande has established that…

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NIT Report Recommends Retrofitting LIFE Mission Buildings

KOCHI: The National Institute of Technology (NIT) Kozhikode has recommended that structures built under the LIFE Mission housing project in Wadakkancherry, Thrissur, be used for their intended purpose after necessary structural modifications, such as rehabilitation or retrofitting, to rectify identified issues. The report noted that while the buildings have been neglected for the past five years and show signs of poor craftsmanship, demolition is not necessary. This report was submitted by the state government to the Kerala High Court in response to a petition from Congress leader Anil Akkara urging the resumption of halted construction on the project. In the…

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ED Files 22 Cases in Builders-Banks Nexus Investigation

NEW DELHI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has initiated 22 cases under the anti-money laundering statutes to probe the alleged “unholy nexus” between builders and banks responsible for defrauding homebuyers in the national capital region (NCR), according to officials. The cases, filed under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), arise from an equal number of FIRs by the CBI issued at the end of July, following directives from the Supreme Court. The ED emphasizes that these cases involve significant public interest, with numerous homebuyers allegedly victimized. Investigations will focus on uncovering fraud, corruption, and money laundering activities by builders, banks,…

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MP HC summons Bhopal collector in contempt matter

BHOPAL | JABALPUR: The Madhya Pradesh High Court has summoned Bhopal collector Kaushlendra Vikram Singh to appear on August 25 regarding a contempt petition. This petition concerns non-compliance with a court order issuing a revenue recovery certificate (RRC) for the recovery of ₹70 lakh from a builder, as decreed by the Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA). Bhanu Pratap Singh from Gwalior submitted the contempt petition after RERA ruled in his favor, issuing a RRC for ₹70 lakh against a Bhopal builder. The RRC was to be executed by the Bhopal collector, yet there has been no action taken. This prompted…

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DLF Ordered to Compensate Buyer for Flat Delay in Kakkanad

KOCHI: The Ernakulam district consumer disputes redressal commission has mandated DLF, a real estate developer, to provide compensation for the delayed handover of a flat by nearly four years, along with additional charges imposed. This order was issued following a complaint lodged by Seena Susan Kuruvilla and her son, Mithun Kuruvilla, regarding the DLF New Town Heights project located in Kakkanad. In May 2010, the complainants reserved an apartment at DLF New Town Heights for Rs 34.29 lakh, with an agreement stating the flat would be delivered by January 19, 2013. Despite having paid 95% of the total, the flat…

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DTCP Warns Experion Developers, RWA Over Gurugram Layout Violations

GURUGRAM: The Department of Town and Country Planning (DTCP) has served a show-cause notice to a developer and a resident welfare association (RWA) over alleged violations of the sanctioned layout plan and licensing conditions as stipulated under the Haryana Development and Regulation of Urban Areas Act, 1975. The notice, dated August 20, 2025, addresses Experion Developers Pvt Ltd (previously Gold Developers Pvt Ltd) and the Windchants Condominium RWA in Sector 112, following a complaint about irregularities within the residential project. The notice mandates that Experion Developers and the Windchants Condominium Association promptly rectify the alleged infractions and revert the project…

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ED: Ex-Vasai-Virar Chief and Co-Accused Committed Major Fraud

MUMBAI: Former Vasai-Virar civic chief Anil Pawar, along with three others, has been implicated in a money laundering case involving a “deliberate” abuse of administrative authority and the financial system to facilitate an extensive fraud, according to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a Mumbai court on Wednesday. The ED revealed that “hawala and angadia” channels were utilized to launder illicit proceeds not just within Maharashtra but also in other states. Following this, the special court, which included two real estate developers among the accused, placed all four individuals in custody one week post-arrest. The hawala system is an informal method…

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Panvel Extends Property Tax Penalty Exemption Dates for Brackets

NAVI MUMBAI: The Panvel City Municipal Corporation (PCMC) has announced an extension of the deadline for property tax fine exemptions under the 90% amnesty scheme to September 15. The 90% rebate, which started on July 18, previously ended on August 15. As a result, the 75% rebate period has been updated to run from September 16 to September 30. Currently, property tax dues exceed 47% of the budgeted amount for 2025-26. The civic body is also offering a basic 5% tax discount for those who settle their 2025-26 taxes by August 31, with additional discounts of 2% for digital payments…