Three first information reports have been registered against Unitech Limited, a leading real estate developer, following separate complaints for prolonged delay in completion of its residential project in Sector 33 here.
The project, The Residences with 1,320 flats, was launched in May 2009 and the developer was to give possession of the flats by the end of 2011. However, the flat holders who have paid more than 90 per cent of the cost are yet to get possession.
Manish Kumar, Vinod Baxla and Shipra Chabbra filed separate FIRs at the Gurgaon Sadar police station late on Tuesday evening alleging that Unitech had collected over Rs.548 crore from the flat holders and diverted the fund to its commercial project, which was up and running in Sector 48. They have implicated the promoters of the company and the top management of the Unitech under Sections 420/406/409//120B of the Indian Penal Code with the Economic Offences Wing.
Gurgaon Police Commissioner Navdeep Virk has appointed an investigation officer and investigations are likely to begin soon. Mr. Virk has also directed Unitech promoters and officials to hold a meeting with the flat holders immediately to address their concern.
Besides the inordinate delay, Unitech Limited has also been accused of using poor quality construction material. Mr. Kumar, in his complaint, has accused the company of using sub-standard quality materials and for not sharing the quality test certificates despite complaints with the company several times. “It is also a matter of record that the company has been regularly announcing its new projects from time to time and by adopting the same modus operandi has been cheating numerous families. It is also submitted that as per the audited accounts of the company published in the public domain, it has a sound financial health,” reads the FIRs by Mr. Kumar.
“The conduct of the company can also be ascertained from the fact that till date it has purposely and with mala fide intentions not renewed its statutory licences from the various authorities that are warranted in order to construct group housing complexes as it was procured initially just to start the construction so that money can be extracted from the families,” the FIR further reads.
The majority of the residential projects launched in 2008 in Gurgaon are running far behind schedule and the agitations by flat holders have become routine. In the present case, it was after the flat holders called upon Haryana Agriculture Minister O.P. Dhankar and sought his intervention that the police swung into action.
