‘Paying rent and EMI its double the pain’: Mahagun homebuyers in Ghaziabad protest delayed flats

Mohit Sharma and his wife think twice before setting foot on their balcony to sip their morning tea as they dread the sight that awaits them across — towering unfinished buildings, parts of them covered in green mesh and iron rods protruding.These towers, Fortune and Advantage, are part of the Mahagun Group’s residential project, Mahagun Montagge, located in Crossing Republik in Ghaziabad. One of the flats in the tower — a 1120 sq ft 2BHK plus study apartment — belongs to the Sharma family.Mohit, 39, who works in the finance sector, had booked the flat in November 2021 when the couple were expecting their second child. “My wife and I were expecting our second daughter in 2022 and we had planned her homecoming in the new house. She will be turning five next year,” he says. Their flat, however, is nowhere close to being finished. The couple and their children now live 2-3 km away, in Gaur City, paying Rs 20,000 rent. “It hurts to wake up every day and see our home from a distance… We had invested our hard-earned money since the project promised safety and security… we paid 50% of the amount, but now it feels like it’s gone down the drain,” says Mohit. “I’m paying rent for this flat and for a structure that isn’t even complete… it’s double the pain,” he says, adding that he has knocked on the doors of the government, police and lawyers to no avail.Story continues below this ad On Saturday, he and 50 homebuyers protested against the delay outside the builder’s office in Noida’s Sector 63. Mohit says every time they reached out to the builder, they made excuses. “Sometimes, they would say the NGT issued orders to stop construction because of pollution or that they’re expecting funding from investors… In 2024, I went to their office and staff said more bookings were coming in and they’d update us. But when I went with other homebuyers to protest, jab paani sir se upar chala gaya tha (The situation had gone beyond control)… They make false promises every time we show up.” The builder’s office did not respond to calls or emails from The Indian Express. According to Paras Gaba (31), another homebuyer and president of the Montagge Unity Association, the project started in 2016, with a promise to be delivered by 2021.Story continues below this ad He booked his flat in 2021. “The builder has now started demanding that we first complete the full payments, saying construction will be done then. If we don’t pay, they said they’ll cancel the flat,” alleged Paras. He said they have filed a complaint with the Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA). “We are going to file a complaint with the Economic Offences Wing as well… Out of a total of 930 plus flats, around 800 buyers are suffering,” he added. On April 18, the Montagge Unity Association wrote to the Uttar Pradesh RERA stating their concerns. “This project has obtained four extensions from UP RERA and registration end date has been extended to June 2028… which is six years [beyond] the original registration end date… Buyers… are suffering [paying] rent and EMI…,” the letter stated. It also requested a financial audit on the escrow account of the project to ensure possession is delivered on or before the latest extended deadline of June 30, 2028.Story continues below this ad Most buyers are in the age group of 30-45 years, who have shifted to Ghaziabad from nearby smaller cities. For Deepak Sadhwani (47) the stakes are high, but more so for his sister who is a single parent. “My sister was going through a divorce in 2024, and she had a limited amount of money… We had invested 90% of it and bought two flats so we could be neighbours… and depend on each other for support. We bought flats in the Fortune tower because it was just a year away from completion,” says Sadhwani. “My sister”, he says, “tells me it’s not my fault”. “She saw this as a ray of hope — that she could earn from the rental amount. Thankfully, she found a job that pays her decently,” he says.Story continues below this ad Mrid