Unitech promoters sent to 4-day custody over cheating charges

Sanjay Chandra, Ajay Chandra accused of duping several home buyers

A Delhi court on Friday allowed the police to interrogate two promoters of real estate firm Unitech Ltd, Sanjay Chandra and Ajay Chandra, in custody for four days for allegedly duping a home buyer of Rs 27.33 lakh in one of its Noida housing projects.

Metropolitan Magistrate Prabh Deep Kaur remanded the Chandra brothers to police custody till September 19 after the Delhi Police sought their custodial interrogation to unravel the case, alleging that they duped south Delhi resident Harjeet Narang of Rs 27.33 lakh in housing project 'Unihomes Phase 2' project in Noida, Uttar Pradesh.

Chandra brothers were produced after the expiry of their custody in connection with three other FIRs relating to the non-delivery of flats to buyers. They were sent to judicial custody in these matters after police did not seek their further remand.

In two of these three FIRs, it has been alleged that the flats were not delivered to the hassled home buyers and fraud was allegedly committed on them by the promoters. The third FIR relates to the company's residential project 'Unitech Verve' at Greater Noida in Uttar Pradesh in 2006.

In the FIR in which the police on Friday got their custody, it has been alleged that Narang had booked a flat under Unitech Ltd's 'Unihomes' project in 2009 and was assured delivery of possession by February 2012.

However, they stopped communicating updates relating to the construction of the apartments and have been sitting with his money from last five-six years.

The company owes Rs 805 crore to New Okhla Industrial Development Authority (NOIDA), the FIR alleged.

The Chandras have been accused of offences under sections 120B (criminal conspiracy), 420 (cheating) and 406 (criminal breach of trust) of the IPC.

In another case, Chandras have been accused of duping an 85-year-woman of Rs 41 lakh and have been sent to judicial custody till September 22.

In the last few years, several FIRs have been lodged against the Unitech top brass for allegedly cheating homebuyers by not delivering them properties purchased from their firm's housing projects.

Sanjay and his brother Ajay Chandra, both managing directors of Unitech, were sent to jail last month in connection with a cheating case registered against them by flat-owners in a Gurgaon project. A trial court had granted them interim bail for three months in April and declined to extend it.