Consumer Court Cracks Down on Rogue Real Estate Promoter

A consumer court in West Tripura has sentenced a female real estate promoter to three years in prison alongside a Rs 1 lakh fine for not delivering a flat to a buyer and failing to refund the advance payment.

Judge Gautam Sarkar deemed promoter Nivedita Baidya guilty of breaching a buyer-seller agreement signed in 2016 with Narayan Chandra Das. Despite Das paying Rs 5.74 lakh, construction halted abruptly in 2018, and the flat was never delivered, nor was the payment returned.

In 2019, Das took the matter to the consumer court, which instructed Baidya to pay back his money plus compensation. Failure to adhere to these orders resulted in the recent jail sentence. The case highlights consumer rights and serves as a warning to non-compliant promoters.

(With inputs from agencies.)