RERA orders Jaipur builder to refund Rs 37.25 lakh with interest for delayed flat possession

JAIPUR: The Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA) Rajasthan has taken strict action against a builder in Jaipur, ordering them to refund the entire amount deposited by an allottee along with interest.

The builder had failed to provide possession of the flat within the agreed timeline following which the allottee approached the authority and filed a complaint. Authority member Shailendra Aggarwal presided over the case and handed down the ruling, instructing the builder to return the amount within 45 days.

Advocate Ram Prakash Kumawat, who represented the case in RERA, stated that the complainant, Dr. Tanuja Singh, had booked a flat with the builder in March 2016.

The project, known as Arihant Legacy, is located in Bilwa. As per the agreement, the allottee paid Rs 1.5 lakh and was to make the remaining payments in installments until December 2017. However, only 9 days after booking, the builder obtained a loan of Rs 30.75 lakh using the complainant’s documents and transferred the amount to their account. As per the agreement, the flat was supposed to be handed over to the allottee in June 2018.

No construction progress was made until 2022, and the builder kept assuring the allottee of an imminent handover while taking an additional Rs 5 lakh from them. With the end of 2021, and still no possession of the flat, the allottee visited the site and found that the flat was far from being ready. Frustrated with the delay, the allottee lodged a complaint with the RERA authority.

The builder proposed offering the allottee a flat in another project to settle the case. However, the allottee declined the offer, demanding a refund of the deposited money. RERA ruled in favor of the allottee, ordering the builder to return the entire amount of Rs 37.25 lakh, along with 9.75 percent interest, within 45 days.