India: Retired seamen issue raised at Centre

Retd seamen issue raised at Centre
TNN | Jul 26, 2018 https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/retd-seamen-issue-raised-at...

Sunali Taktawala, resident of Gurgaon, has alleged she was refused possession by the builder of a villa she booked at Moira despite having paid 95% of the amount for the property. Taktawala, whose complaint has been registered by the Mapusa police, said she was approached by an agent of Bennet & Bernard Custom Homes Pvt Ltd in August 2016 and accordingly she invested in the 387 sqm villa, which includes three bedrooms, a garden and a swimming pool.

The agreement for construction-cum-sale had said the villa would be handed over to Taktawala by March 2017 in habitabal condition. The pilot paid 95% of the amount or Rs 3.18 crore for the villa, including Rs 16 lakh service tax, but, she alleged, instead of giving possession of the villa, the developer sent her a letter terminting the agreement of sale dated December 9, 2016.

“Despite being in breach of the said agreement, the accused persons further demanded the last instalment, which was due to accrue only at the time of delivery of possession of the villa,” the complaint said.

Mapusa police has booked chairman/managing director, Lincoln Rodrigues, director, Lindsay Rodrigues, and other officials of the firm. The FIR has been registered for hatching a criminal conspiracy ‘by dishonestly inducing the complainant to invest money for booking of villa at Moira, Bardez.’

Taktawala is also pursuing the case with the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission.

The commission says that ‘the opposite parties shall maintain status quo with regard to nature, title and possession of the villa.’

Taktawala says that she spent Rs 20 lakh towards purchasing furniture that were placed in the villa. Despite the commission’s orders, this furniture was removed by the developer from the villa.