HYDERABAD: The Telangana State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (TSCDRC) has directed SHL Ventures, a construction and real estate developer firm located in Madhapur, to refund the amount of Rs 54 lakh with interest for providing deficient services and engaging in unfair trade practices against the complainants, TC Ashok and T Nirmala Ashok, residents in Jubilee Hills.
In 2006, the complainants, who were early bird investors, approached SHL Ventures to purchase flats in their Kondapur venture called “Casa Rouge by SHL Ventures.”Ashok purchased flats 701 and 801 in Block F, while T Nirmala Ashok purchased flats 803 and 804 in Block G. In 2007, they paid an advance of Rs 6 lakh for each of the four flats and obtained the corresponding receipts.
However, SHL Ventures erroneously booked the units as flats 703 and 803 in the name of Ashok instead of flats 701 and 801, and as flats 802 and 702 instead of 803 and 804 for Nirmala. When this mistake was initially brought to the attention of SHL Ventures, they claimed that it was only a tentative payment schedule and that they would rectify any typographical errors as soon as possible.
In 2008, Ashok paid an additional Rs 30 lakh as per the corresponding receipt. Despite this, SHL Ventures neither rectified the mistake nor provided any reasons for continuing with the same flat numbers. On the contrary, in 2014, they sent emails demanding payment for the incorrect flat numbers.
The ventures also issued a notice claiming an outstanding amount of Rs 2,04,16,387 for the wrong flat numbers 703 and 803 from Ashok, out of which Rs 42 lakh had already been received, and the pending amount was only Rs 1,62,16,387. Furthermore, they threatened that if the amount was not paid, the entire sum would be forfeited.
The complainant responded by sending an email denying the wrong allotment of flats, but the ventures sent a pre-cancellation notice nonetheless. In September 2016, the complainants discovered that the flats promised to them had been allotted to other people. Ashok sent an email protesting the allotment, but it was ignored.