Hyderabad: The Hyderabad Regional Consumer Commission 1 was convicted on Friday and sentenced Sunil J. Sachdev, executive partner of Gharonda builder and developer, to four months in prison for failing to comply with the commission’s order to compensate buyers in a long pending housing dispute.
The case was filed by Srinivas Reddy of the NRI in the United States, represented by his General Power of Attorney (GPA) holder K. Padma Mohan Reddy. The complainant reached an agreement with the Gharonda builder in 2005 to purchase a 775-square-foot apartment in Amberpet’s “Gharonda Chamundeshwari Apartment”. Despite paying Rs 9,61,683 out of a total of Rs 14,04,810, the builder has not handed over the apartment for more than a decade.
The complainant contacted the Consumer Forum in 2017 after years of unfulfilled commitments from the builder, including written assurances in May 2014. In 2018, the Regional Council ordered the builders to return the annuity to the paid amount and return it at 18% interest per year and grant Rs 3 lakh of mental danger to compensate Rs 5,000 for legal fees.
When the builder failed to comply, the complainant appealed to the TSCDRC, which upheld the order of the District Commission. However, the State Council put aside a compensation order of Rs 3 lakh, claiming that interest was sufficient.
“The builders filed appeals and amendment petitions to the state committee and the state consumer dispute, respectively, and filed remedies committees, but they were dismissed.”
After failing to comply with the refund order without complying with the appeal ruling, the District Council took significant enforcement steps and convicted Sakdev under Section 27 of the Consumer Protection Act.
