CHENNAI: Over 2,000 homebuyers in Korattur have been left in the lurch after a popular realtor allegedly beguiled them of crores of rupees by selling residential properties, which was developed on a land mired in legal disputes and reportedly belonging to a temple.
A complaint to the Director General of Police (DGP) filed by the Orchid Springss All Owners Association says that the registration department has stopped registration of flats as two survey numbers of land parcels on which the apartment has been built, were classified as temple lands.
It was only during the mid-2025, the association came to know about a dispute regarding the two survey numbers and writ was pending in the Madras High Court. “Some time during early 2018, we were told that registration of houses in Orchid Springss has been stopped by the Registration Department. When enquired, the builder said it was a small issue and has been taken care of. Until mid-January 2026, the registration has been going for new and resales also,” the complaint said.
Alleging criminal intent and cheating by the promoter, the buyers raised concern that their investments are at stake as banks have stopped processing loans and some financial institutions value the property at Rs 0. The association sought the intervention of police as the buyers have collectively lost over Rs 2,000 crore (average price of one apartment is Rs 1 crore) and urged the DGP to file cases under various sections of BNS including section 318 (cheating) and section 336 (forgery).
Suresh Srinivasan of the association said the promoter only handed over the maintenance of the blocks to the residents but has not provided title documents. “Despite the issue pertaining to two survey numbers, the entire project is affected. The issue came to light in 2015. The promoter should have not allowed the problem to escalate this much. They claim that they are trying to resolve the issue legally. The complaint was given two days ago and nothing has changed till date (Friday evening),” he said.
The buyers also demanded the police to take action to handover the original documents of titles and its related papers apart from affidavits, applications, and others regarding the project. They also demand the handover of the corpus fund of Rs 14.3 crore along with interest.
“Alliance Orchid Springss” now operating under “Urbanrise Projects” has been developed over 15.45 acres spread out in 16 survey numbers and houses 2,036 apartments over 8 blocks. The residential project was first started in early 2000 and after multiple revision in plans and approvals, handing over was done between 2014 and 2019. At present, less than 10 apartments remain unsold. Efforts to get a response from Urbanrise failed.