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Blacklist erring builders, penalise auditors: MahaRERA told by residents’ association

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According to the association, the regulator also ensures that the brand image of the erring developers remains unaffected by not revealing their names, which puts homebuyers at risk.

Mumbai: The Cooperative Societies Residents Users and Welfare Association (CSRUWA) has raised a flag against Maharashtra Real Estate Regulatory Authority (MahaRERA) stating that the regulator is going soft on thousands of errant builders who repeatedly are violating various rules.

According to the association, the regulator also ensures that the brand image of the erring developers remains unaffected by not revealing their names, which puts homebuyers at risk.

Purchasers shaken by flouting of laws and blatant violations of MahaRERA

President CSRUWA Advocate Vinod C Sampat said, “Faith of thousands of flat purchasers is shaken in view of flouting of laws and blatant violations of MahaRERA, specifically with regards to the investment of funds in separate bank accounts of 1,781 developers.”

The law stipulates that the developer has to maintain an escrow account to deposit 70% of the amount received from the buyers, without creating any third-party rights on it. Yet 1,781 realtors have not complied with the law.

Secondly, over 5,700 projects worth Rs1,13,023 crore in Maharashtra have lapsed. In these projects, 4,08,350 apartments were booked, putting the home buyers in a quandary.

16,000 show-cause notices sent to developers

This month over 16,000 show-cause notices have been sent for the second time to the developers who did not respond to the one sent in January. Of the around 19,500 developers only about 18% or 3,500 acted on the legal communication issued by MahaRERA.

There are also 261 projects wherein less than 40% of work has been achieved and the promoters are about to run out of money or have given unrealistic possession deadlines of December 2023.

In another instance, 14 builders had advertised their projects without the mandatory MahaRERA registration number.

The association demands that such law-violating promoters, developers, as well as auditors, should be blacklisted and they should be penalised 5% of the project cost.

Crores of rupees of buyers at stake

“Several crores of Rupees of buyers is at stake in the realty projects. The flat purchasers look upon MahaRERA authorities to protect their interest. Unfortunately, the faith of the flat purchaser is shaken in view of the builder’s lobby openly flouting the laws, particularly laws related to MahaRERA,” added advocate Sampat.

Moreover, even the orders in favour of the home purchasers given by MahaRERA are often not honoured by the developers.

In view of such gross violations that continue to occur even six years since its establishment, MahaRERA is also referred to as a toothless tiger.

Crime

Bengaluru: Nursing student raped by PG owner after confessing to theft; accused held

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Bengaluru, June 25: An incident has been reported from Bengaluru on Wednesday where a nursing student was allegedly raped by the owner of a paying guest (PG) accommodation after she confessed to a theft, officials said.

The police have arrested the accused.

The arrested person has been identified as 35-year-old Ravi Teja Reddy, the owner of the PG facility.

According to the police, Reddy raped the 21-year-old woman after she admitted to stealing three gold rings from another girl residing in the same PG.

Following the victim’s complaint, Reddy has been booked for rape and taken into police custody.

The victim, a nursing graduate from Andhra Pradesh, had joined the PG only a week prior to the incident and was searching for a job, the police said.

Investigations revealed that the victim had allegedly stolen three gold rings from another PG inmate.

She had also disconnected the CCTV camera wire during the theft.

However, she asked another inmate whether the CCTV footage would still be recorded despite the wire of the CCTV camera being cut.

This conversation was shared with Reddy, which raised his suspicion on the nurse.

Reddy then summoned the victim for questioning and threatened to hand her over to the police.

The girl reportedly confessed to the theft, after which Reddy instructed his aides to retrieve the hidden valuables, police added.

When the victim pleaded with Reddy to forgive her and not to inform the police, he allegedly slapped her and sexually assaulted her.

Initially hesitant to file a complaint, the victim later confided in a male friend.

The friend then contacted a city-based advocate, who helped lodge a formal complaint with the police.

Based on the complaint, the police sent the victim for a medical examination and arrested the accused.

Reddy has been booked under Sections 64(1), 74, and 75(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) Act.

In her complaint, the victim said that Reddy initially touched her private parts under the pretext of checking her.

When she resisted, he allegedly forced her to perform oral sex.

The FIR further mentions that the victim, unable to control her urge to vomit after the assault, ran to the restroom.

Reddy followed her and allegedly forced her to have unnatural sex again.

The victim also said that Reddy later threatened her not to reveal the incident to anyone.

It was only after the victim’s friends came to her support that she gathered the courage to file a complaint.

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International

South Korea welcomes Israel-Iran ceasefire, commends US’ diplomatic efforts

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Seoul, June 25: The South Korean Foreign Ministry on Wednesday welcomed the announcement of a ceasefire between Israel and Iran and praised the diplomatic efforts led by the US and other involved countries.

“We hope that all parties will faithfully implement the terms of the agreement so that tensions in the region can be eased swiftly,” the ministry said in a statement.

As a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, South Korea “will continue to participate in the international community’s efforts to promote peace and stability in the Middle East,” Yonhap news agency reported.

Earlier on Tuesday, US President Donald Trump declared that a ceasefire between Iran and Israel had officially taken effect, urging both sides to maintain restraint.

“THE CEASEFIRE IS NOW IN EFFECT. PLEASE DO NOT VIOLATE IT! DONALD J. TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES!” Trump posted on the social media platform Truth Social.

The announcement came amid escalating violence in the Middle East, but President Trump’s declaration appeared to catch both parties off guard. The ceasefire claim was quickly contradicted by Iran, which asserted it had not received any formal proposal from Washington and had not agreed to a bilateral ceasefire.

US President Trump also wrote, “Israel & Iran came to me, almost simultaneously, and said, ‘Peace’! I knew the time was NOW. The World, and the Middle East, are the real winners!”

“Both Nations will see tremendous love, peace and prosperity in their futures. They have so much to gain, and yet, so much to lose if they stray from the road of righteousness and truth. The future for Israel & Iran is unlimited and filled with great promise. God bless you both!” he added.

Earlier, Iran announced a unilateral halt to its military operations against Israel, effective 4 a.m. local time, but made it clear that the pause was conditional, based entirely on whether Israel would stop its own airstrikes and military actions.

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Crime

PFI had ‘hit list’ of 950 in Kerala including judge, reveals NIA probe

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Kochi, June 25: In a startling revelation made by the National Investigating Agency (NIA), it has surfaced that the banned Popular Front of India (PFI) had prepared a hit list of 950 people in Kerala.

The list, which surfaced in the media on Wednesday, included a now-retired district judge.

Incidentally, this list was submitted early this month by the NIA at a special court here when the bail applications of four accused in the murder of RSS leader Sreenivasan came up for hearing. The NIA opposed the bail strongly. The four accused, identified as Muhammad Bilal, Riyasudheen, Ansar K.P. and Saheer K.V., were arrested for murdering Sreenivasan at Palakkad, Kerala, in 2022.

The list of 950 was compiled after getting confirmed inputs from different places by the NIA probe team. It includes eight documents seized from the 51st accused, Sirajudheen, which contain a list of 240 people from other communities.

Then, while conducting a search held at Periyar Valley Campus at Aluva, NIA was able to get the details of five targeted persons from the purse of the 15th accused, Abdul Wahad, who is presently on the run.

It was in this list that the name of a former district judge was found.

Another document seized from an accused, who turned approver later, contained a hit list with the names of 232 people.

Similarly, a search held at the home of the 69th accused, Ayoob, a hit list containing the names of about 500 people was found.

When the NIA was probing the Sreenivasan case, the PFI link emerged. It was later found that PFI had sinister plans to create unrest in the country.

During the investigation, the anti-terror agency got details of the PFI carrying out physical and arms training for its cadres.

The NIA has now claimed that it has voice clips and witness statements that reveal the ‘India 2047 plan’ of setting up Islamic rule in India.

The special court, after hearing both sides and going through the documents produced before it, observed that there were reasonable grounds for believing that the accusation against the petitioners was prima facie true, and rejected the bail petition.

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