Mumbai: The Sahar police have registered an FIR against manpower agent Vinayak Koli for allegedly providing a fake appointment letter to a retired Navy Chief Petty Officer, Rakesh Kumar Yadav, 56, in an attempt to send him to Dubai.

Yadav, who retired in 2008 and previously worked as a seaman, had connected with Koli in 2021 while they were both working for the same company in Nigeria. In August 2025, while seeking a new job, Yadav responded to a WhatsApp job advertisement for an Electro Technical Officer. He discovered one of the contact numbers belonged to Koli, who then assured Yadav of an overseas position with Prayati Shipping Company.

Koli collected Yadav’s documents and, on October 9, provided him with an offer letter, an invitation, and a flight ticket from Mumbai to Dubai for the following day. However, on October 10, when Yadav presented the documents at Mumbai International Airport, immigration officers grew suspicious. An inquiry confirmed the offer letter was fraudulent.

Your questions concern most homebuyers facing delayed possession. The answers lie in Section 18(1) of RERA, which states, “Where an allottee does not intend to withdraw from the project, he shall be paid by the promoter, interest for every month of delay, till handing over of possession, at such rate as may be prescribed.” In Maharashtra, the interest rate under Rule 18 is SBI’s highest MCLR + 2% per annum. The interest becomes payable soon after the promised possession date and any grace period mentioned in the agreement.

In your case, the agreed possession date is April 30, and with a six-month grace period, it extends to October 31. Hence, the delay period begins November 1, and the builder must pay monthly interest at MCLR + 2% from that date until actual possession with a valid occupancy certificate. Interest for November should thus be paid in the first week of December 2025, and thereafter every month until possession. As per Section 18, payment of interest is automatic, the homebuyer need not demand it. The builder, aware of the agreed possession date, should start paying interest on the entire amount received.

MahaRERA’s FAQs (Q.21) also confirm that this interest must be automatically paid. However, in practice, many buyers are forced to file complaints before MahaRERA to claim their rightful dues. Therefore, buyers should formally call upon builders to begin payment once delay starts and, if they fail to comply, lodge a complaint with MahaRERA. Your concern about builders citing delays ‘beyond their control’ is valid. But the Supreme Court, in the Newtech Promoters case, has clarified that the right to monthly interest for delay is absolute and non-negotiable.

MahaRERA has echoed this in a recent judgment, stating, “If the respondent fails to hand over possession by the specified date, the respondent shall be liable to pay interest to the complainant. This provision does not provide for any waiver, disclaimer, exception, or force majeure. It is an absolute provision.” It is time MahaRERA issues general directions to all promoters to comply with this statutory obligation, preventing homebuyers from repeatedly approaching the authority for an already settled legal right.

Mumbai: Around 1,000 residents of Jogeshwari East on Sunday held a candlelight march to honour 22-year-old Sanskruti Amin, who died tragically on October 8 when a cement block fell from an under-construction building on Thakur Road, striking her head. The march, starting at 10.30am near Maharaja Bhavan, Caves Road, Majaswadi, protested the incident and demanded justice.

Participants carried banners with messages like “Killer Builder” and “No Bail, Only Jail,” chanting “We Want Justice.” Harish Amin, President of the Billawar Association, said, “We held a peaceful two-hour candle march with around a thousand residents. We demand that the police arrest the builder within 24 hours. If needed, we will approach the Bombay High Court or Supreme Court and launch a larger agitation. The BMC must audit all construction sites to prevent such losses.”

Resident Aarun Kotian added, “The developer must be arrested without bail and their licence cancelled. Materials keep falling from this site, endangering residents.” Sudarshini, another resident, stated, “Construction should halt until Sanskruti’s case is resolved. The BMC must inspect the site thoroughly, as objects falling from it pose risks. Many constructions here ignore safety norms.”

BJP MLA Ameet Satam, who attended the march, demanded the developer’s arrest, saying, “I’ll urge the Mumbai Police Commissioner to act lawfully. If the police fail to investigate thoroughly, we’ll ensure they do. The BMC should audit all construction sites, stopping work with violations.” He added that if prior complaints about the site were ignored, the responsible BMC officer should face inquiry. Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Anant (Bala) Nar and MNS spokesperson Sandeep Deshpande also joined.

The FIR states Sanskruti left home at 9.30am on October 8 for work when a concrete block from the 21st floor of a nearby building killed her instantly. Her father alleged the company neglected safety measures. The Meghwadi Police filed a case against Shraddha Lifestyle LLP and others under sections 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and 3(5) (common intention) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. On Saturday, they arrested site engineer Shambhu Kumar Palat Paswan, 29, and site manager Gaurav Dineshbhai Sondagar, 39, remanding them to custody until October 14.

Sanskruti, a hotel management graduate and the only child of her parents, had recently joined a bank on September 29 after leaving a hotel job.