Vasai-Virar: Flats sold, registered in buildings with forged construction permits

A startling case has come to light in the Narangi area of Virar East. Buildings were constructed there on the strength of forged construction permits, even though the municipal corporation itself had earlier filed police cases over similar fake permits. What is more surprising is that despite these projects having no MahaRERA registration, customers were assured the buildings were authorised, and on that basis flats were both sold and registered.

Serious questions have been raised over the role of Tirupati Balaji Construction and V.V. Construction, as well as municipal corporation officials, in the matter. A complaint with 400 pages of evidence has been submitted to the municipal commissioner demanding a high-level probe into the case.

The buildings Shivshakti Apartment (Wing A, B), Shivshakti Apartment-2 (Wing A, B, C) and Dhruvi Heights and Dhruvi Heights 02 have been constructed on land at survey number 225 (parts 5 and 8) and survey number 232 (part 5) in the Narangi area. After their construction permits were found to be forged, the then assistant commissioner had filed a case at Virar police station in 2023. Despite this, how these buildings were completed without being stopped, and how flats were sold in them, remains a major question.

The complaint has demanded an independent, high-level investigation through senior officials, that the original digital records be preserved, and that strict criminal action be taken against the developers and officials found guilty.

Questions have also been raised over how these buildings were completed even after municipal officials themselves had filed cases against the forged construction permits. It is also not clear how the flats were registered and sold despite the absence of MahaRERA registration. Ordinary citizens have bought these homes with their life savings, and there are suspicions that a larger racket may be behind it.

In a written reply under the Right to Information Act, the town planning department has clarified that its computer system has no authorised record of construction permit numbers for the survey numbers in question. A letter had been issued to the sub-registrar not to register such buildings, yet registration of flats and levying of property tax both continued unchecked. Despite the mandatory MahaRERA registration being absent, ordinary citizens have been defrauded of their life savings. Despite instructions not to register unauthorised construction, it has repeatedly come to light that registrations are being carried out openly at the sub-registrar's office.