The Maharashtra Real Estate Regulatory Authority (MahaRERA) has suspended registrations of 52 developers having their projects in the jurisdiction of Kalyan Dombivali Municipal Corporation (KDMC) area of Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR).
This action has been taken in the backdrop of the KDMC last week registering a case of cheating against 27 property developers, for allegedly fabricating documents for the registration of their constructions under the Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA).
According to KDMC, the accused developers had allegedly cheated home buyers from 27 villages by forging documents that show permissions for the construction of houses were issued by the KDMC and based on that they got the registration done under RERA.
The developers indulged in the fraud between 2017 and 2022, and home buyers shelled out Rs 25 lakh to Rs 35 lakh for each of the tenement constructed by these developers, according to KDMC.
Owing to this, MahaRERA's website on October 3 published a list of 52 developers whose registration has been suspended along with the registration number.
MahaRERA Secretary Vasant Prabhu confirmed to Moneycontrol that the registration of 52 developers has been suspended.
He said, "KDMC had issued a list to us as per which we want to verify the registrations of these projects. Accordingly, we have issued notices to these 52 developers to prove their documents. Hence, we have temporarily suspended registrations of 52 developers and after hearing we will take any further decision. The KDMC is further investigating and we are taking action basis on the information received by the KDMC."
What is RERA registration?
As per the RERA Act, 2016, all real estate projects are to be registered with the RERA in respective states. In Maharashtra, on registration of a project with MahaRERA, the projects are provided with a certificate having a unique registration number.
One can log in on the website of MahaRERA and on entering the unique number, can get all details regarding the project. As per the Act, anyone cannot book, sell, market or advertise a particular property without having registration with RERA.
Whistle-blower in the case:
Sandeep Patil, an architect by profession from Kalyan area near Mumbai said, "I had filed a complaint with KDMC about how 66 projects were suspicious, considering the KDMC itself had informed me in writing that they have not registered the list of 66 projects for which I had sought details. After my persuasion, the KDMC went and filed FIR in the matter and now MahaRERA has suspended registration. However, the list I have is 66 projects but MahaRERA has suspended registrations of only 52 projects."