Gharonda may face Enforcement Directorate vigil for conning home buyers

HYDERABAD: Hyderabad Central Crime Station (CCS) sleuths have sought an Enforcement Directorate (ED) probe against Gharonda Builders and Developers and its promoter Sunil Jayanthilal Sachdev under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) for cheating hundreds of home buyers.

"We have arrested the accused builder in several cases and filed chargesheets in some. We have written to the Enforcement Directorate seeking a probe under PMLA and attachment of the properties of the accused," CCS deputy commissioner of police Avinash Mohanty told TOI.


The city police, including CCS, Sultan Bazar and Chikkadapally cops, have booked 21 cases of cheating against Sunil Sachdev and others. In two instances, the builder cheated prospective buyers of 8 crore. The 60-year-old builder, who is a resident of Hyderguda, has been named A2 in all cases while his company Gharonda has been named A1.

Cops have named other family members of Sunil Sachdev - Sonal Tharkar, Rekha Sachdev and Rooplal Saagi - as accused. However, since they are all sleeping partners in the firm, they were given notice under Section 41 A of the CRPC and their statements recorded.

CCS investigators said Gharonda, established in 1981, built at least 80 apartments in the city and enjoyed an excellent reputation initially.

"The accused collected money from multiple persons three to four times beyond the number of flats available in the apartments. Cases have been booked since 2015 and the last case was booked by CCS on April 11, 2018. In 2010, Sachdev launched a project called Gharonda Bhoopal in Padmaraonagar with 35 flats. He collected 10 lakh to 25 lakh each in cash from around 80 persons, totalling 6 crore. He took permission from GHMC but failed to deliver the flats," said a CCS official.

In another project in Padmaraonagar called Casarosa, police said around 2 crore was collected from 24 persons but flats were sold only to 13. CCS arrested Sunil Sachdev in June 2018 on charges of cheating homebuyers. Cases have also been filed against Gharonda Builders in the Telangana State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission. The National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission ruled against Gharonda in some instances for the delay in handing over flats to buyers.