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Thane Bribery Case: Third Accused Surrenders to ACB

THANE: An individual involved in the Thane Municipal Corporation bribery case surrendered to the Maharashtra Anti Corruption Bureau on Friday. Following this, a local court has placed him in police custody until October 6, according to an official. The accused has been identified as Sushant Surve. During a raid at the civic headquarters on October 1, Deputy Municipal Commissioner Shankar Patole and a private individual named Omkar Gaikar were arrested by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB). A real estate developer, Abhijit Kadam, who has development rights for a plot in Vishnu Nagar, Naupada, reported to the Mumbai ACB that Patole allegedly…

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Mumbai: Developer Must Refund Homebuyers for Canceled Flats

MUMBAI: A recent case underscores the challenges homebuyers face with stalled real estate projects. The Maharashtra State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (SCDRC) in Mumbai has ordered a developer and its directors to refund over ₹45 lakh plus ₹15 lakh in interest to a couple who had their flat allocation canceled in a Wadala housing project they opted for back in 2014. Sharmistha Ray and Manabendra Nath Ray, residents of Wadala, had initially sought 18% annual interest on their payment but agreed to 9% before the commission, which was the initial rate offered by the developer. The commission found Vijaykamal Properties…

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Mohali Civic Body Eyes New Taxes to Alleviate Financial Crisis

MOHALI: The financially struggling Mohali Municipal Corporation (MC) is considering new taxes and adjustments to existing ones in order to sustain civic projects. Currently, the MC has just Rs 15 crore available, while it has projects worth Rs 40 crore poised for allotment. MC commissioner Parminderpal Singh Sandhu disclosed this challenging situation during a recent meeting, conceding that the organization cannot fulfill the city’s development requirements. He criticized Gmada for not providing financial assistance, which has left the MC reliant on limited resources. Sandhu stated, “We need to implement new taxes to enhance our revenue. The Mohali MC is facing…

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Thane Deputy Commissioner and Aide Arrested for Bribery

THANE: Shankar Patole, the deputy commissioner of the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC), along with local resident Omkar Gaikar, were arrested by the Mumbai Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) late Wednesday for allegedly accepting a bribe from a developer. The Thane court has remanded them to police custody until October 4. Patole, who heads the TMC’s anti-encroachment unit, was reportedly caught in his office just hours after the civic body celebrated its 43rd foundation day. The ACB took action based on a complaint from a Mumbai-based real estate developer, accusing Patole of demanding a bribe to facilitate the clearance of illegal encroachments on…

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Tax Dept Investigates ₹28,000 Crore Property Deals in Manesar

GURUGRAM: An I-T department survey has revealed considerable shortcomings in the documentation of property transaction records at Manesar tehsil, raising alarms over possible large-scale tax evasion. Over the last five years, property transactions worth approximately Rs 28,000 crore have been registered at this tehsil. However, it was found that the Permanent Account Number (PAN) of buyers and sellers, which is mandatory for transactions exceeding Rs 30 lakh, was absent from the records. The survey, conducted by a team of ten members over 24 hours, highlighted that the registration software at the tehsil failed to capture vital PAN details, despite regulations…

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ED Seizes Ansal Properties Valued at Over ₹10 Crore

CHANDIGARH: The Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) Gurugram Zonal Office announced on Wednesday the provisional attachment of six immovable properties associated with the Ansal family, valued at ₹10.55 crore, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002. These properties are reportedly owned by directors and beneficiary owners of M/s Ansal Properties and Infrastructure Ltd (APIL): Sushil Ansal, Pranav Ansal, and Kusum Ansal. The action follows the company’s failure to repay environmental compensation mandated by various environmental agencies due to violations of The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, and The Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981. The…

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Bombay HC: Mumbai’s prime land can’t be lost to slum scheme.

MUMBAI: The Bombay High Court, represented by Justices Girish Kulkarni and Aarti Sathe, stated on Wednesday that large public land cannot be unjustly claimed under the pretext of slum rehabilitation. Expressing concern over the state’s actions, the court issued an interim order emphasizing that a prime 33-acre public space in the Cuffe Parade/Colaba area—one and a half times the size of Oval Maidan—should remain accessible to the public rather than be handed over for private development, especially when the city is already facing a shortage of public parks and open spaces, a necessity under the Indian Constitution. The court asserted…

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ED Seizes Over ₹10 Crore in Assets of Ansal Promoters

NEW DELHI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has attached six immovable properties valued at ₹10.55 crore belonging to certain directors and shareholders of Gurugram-based Ansal Properties and Infrastructure Ltd (APIL) under the anti-money laundering law. This action is part of a case linked to alleged violations of environmental protection laws, as stated by the ED on Wednesday. The properties, which are provisionally frozen under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), include commercial units in Gurugram (Haryana), Greater Noida (Uttar Pradesh), and Ludhiana (Punjab). The assets belong to notable figures associated with APIL, such as Sushil Ansal, Pranav Ansal, and Kusum…

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YEIDA Targets Illegal Plot Sales Near Noida Airport

Representative image NOIDA: The Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA) has launched a crackdown on illegal colonisers promoting fraudulent projects in proximity to the Noida International Airport. The authority received numerous complaints regarding unapproved “township projects” being aggressively marketed to buyers from Delhi-NCR, falsely promising homes near the upcoming airport. The authority now aims to take action against social media accounts promoting these illegal developments. YEIDA has pledged strict enforcement and collaboration with local administration to address these issues. A report from TOI on September 15 highlighted how sales agents provided car pickups for potential buyers, transporting them to well-maintained…

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Lucknow’s Sahara Group land in Gomtinagar sealed by civic body

Representative image LUCKNOW: The Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC) has initiated the sealing of 170 acres in Gomtinagar, which includes the well-known Subrato Kothi owned by the Sahara Group. Signage indicating the area is sealed has been placed on-site. This action comes after an extensive inquiry led by Municipal Commissioner Gaurav Kumar, uncovering numerous violations of licensing and lease agreements. The land was originally allocated to Sahara India Housing Limited in 1994 for residential and green belt development, intended for housing plots and a planned community. However, in 1997, the LMC issued a cancellation notice for the license deed due to…