Thane: At least 100 homebuyers who had paid ₹300 crore for properties in 2013 have protested against the developer for not giving possession of flats.
The developer took about ₹300 crore from homebuyers 10 years ago for the project, which was going to come up inside the Tatvagyan Vidyapeeth premises on Ghodbunder Road in Thane (West). Aggrieved by the developer’s attitude, the homebuyers on Saturday protested under the leadership of BJP legislator Sanjay Kelkar.
“Rajesh Patel, a managing director of Rajesh LifeSpaces, is the developer of the said project. In 2013, this developer had announced the construction of a housing project called Raj Tower in the Tatvagyan Vidyapeeth premises on Ghodbunder Marg. He took money from homebuyers by selling flats in this project. Around 500 people gave ₹250 to ₹300 crore to the developer hoping that their dream of owning a home would come true,” the MLA said. “But the developer has not laid a single brick of the building in the last 10 years. The investors have become impatient.
“The homebuyers met me in 2021. I intervened and asked the developer when the project would start. At the time he promised to start the work on May 15, 2021. Now he says he would start the construction from August 4, 2023,” he said.
Cases of cheating homebuyers on the rise
The legislator claimed that in Thane, cases of cheating against homebuyers has increase. “About 5,000 homebuyers have been cheated by big and small developers in the city. I have received their complaints. I will not rest until we get them a rightful home,” said Kelkar.
Despite several attempts, developer Rajesh Patel was unavailable for comments.
