New Delhi: They say one must never build castles in the air. Beijing-based Indian businessman Sanjeev Gupta however didn't seem to heed to that saying. Four years ago, when Gupta had come to India on a visit, he was persuaded to book a plot in Faridabad by a realtor and promised that he would see his sprawling villa come up there a few years later.
Deal done, Gupta returned to China and from there tried to keep tab on the project. But all his attempts to gauge the progress failed. It turned out that the plot was never owned by the builders in the first place.
In 2007, Pal Infrastructure and Developers had advertised in newspapers and through dealers their project in Faridabad's sector-78 where they offered independent villas spread over 200 square yards.
"I paid the booking amount of Rs 4,25,000 and was supposed to get the possession of the villa within two years. As I had returned to China after booking it, it was difficult for me to keep a tab on the building progress. But when I returned after two years, I was surprised to see that not even the excavation work had started at the site," said Gupta, who was in India recently on a vacation.
In the agreement between the builder and the house owner, it was stated that the builder will refund the amount deposited by the owners along with interest if they failed to deliver the said units within 15 months. However, even after 24 months, the builder had not provided Gupta with the allotment letter. "I then applied for cancellation of our booking on February 2009. The builder issued me nine post-dated cheques totalling Rs 3,56,465 signed by the director. But, when I presented the first cheque on the due date, it bounced and I was told that the account had been closed on February 2, 2010."
Gupta then reported the matter to the builder, who issued him two new cheques. "We believed them again and to resolve the issue amicably, returned the previous cheques to them. Again, when I deposited the cheques, they were returned citing insufficient funds as reason.
They fooled me twice. Now my vacation is also over. Moreover, they have also moved their office to some other place. I am left with no option but to file a FIR." Gupta is not the only one who has been duped by this builder. Pradeep Gupta, a resident of Malviya Nagar, who was duped in the similar fashion has also lodged an FIR at Prashant Vihar police station against the builder.
"I filed the complaint in March last year but there has hardly been any progress in the case. It's really sad that the police seem to be harbouring such criminals. I personally know at least 50-60 investors who have been duped lakhs of rupees like me," said Pradeep. When MiD DAY contacted Pal Infrastructure, they refused to comment.
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