They paid for houses they may never own

Fifty-five-year-old N P Pandya who took a loan of Rs 1,39,000 from LIC Housing Finance Ltd. is one such person who has been cheated. Pandya, who was allotted a flat on the first-floor of `C’ block at Tejendranagar Society in Ghatlodia by his builder P G Chodhury and was also sanctioned a loan for the same amount from LIC Housing Finance on July 22 in 1996, never got possession of his flat. The finance company has lodged a case against him demanding repayment of the loan amount.

Pandya, along with some others from the same society, has been running from pillar to post to get possession of his own flat since the last four years, while his builder refuses to return the Rs 1,39,000. "The flat on which LIC alloted me the loan was never mine as Madhukant Shah has taken possession of it. Since the last one year, LIC has been sending me constant reminders to pay back the loan amount with interest, but I don’t understand why I should pay for a flat which was never handed over to me," Pandya, who supports a family of four on his meagre income from a private company, told The India Express.

Surprisingly, owner of Harsiddh Association P G Chowdhury who is the builder of Tejendranagar Society, and, who, is allegedly played the main role in connivance with Kamlesh Shah, an LIC agent, is roaming scot-free.

Sources in the city police said more than 15 cases of cheating and fraudulent activities are pending against him, including some non-bailable arrest warrants issued by the court. "We arrested him twice for such reasons and he was bailed out as he enjoys strong clout and money-power," an official of Ghatlodia police station said.

Pandya has even made representations to Additional Police Commissioner Shivanand Jha and Assistant Commissioner K C Patel. ACP Patel, when asked about the case said, "Pandya was provided police protection too when he was threatened by some goons working for Choudhury. But since I have been transferred from here, the matter should be taken care of by the new officer," Patel said.

The case of school teacher Pushpa Rathore is similar. She was allotted flat B/7 by the same builder in Tejendranagar Society, but when she went to take possession of the flat, two other persons also claimed ownership of the same flat. "She also was granted a loan of Rs 1,40,000 by LIC and like me she also has been running from pillar to post, while the LIC officials have been threatening to lodged a case of non-repayment against her," another resident of the society, requesting anonymity, said.

An arrest warrant against the LIC agent Kamlesh Shah is lying with Ghatlodia police, but he too is yet to be arrested. "This is possible only because he enjoys the patronage of some LIC officials who connived with the builder and the agent," Pandya alleged.

When contacted, area manager of LIC Housing Finance Ltd, M B Gohil, pleaded ignorance in the matter. "As Pandya did not pay back our money, we have initiated a case against him and others. If something like that has happened, it happened at the time of my predecessor," Gohil said. He, however, said he would look into the matter. "We will send an official team to Tejendranagar Society to find out the truth and, accordingly, we will take action if any of our men is found involved," he said.

Though several attempts were made by The Indian Express to contact the builder, he was not available for comment.