A Nagpur-based consumer court sentenced a builder to undergo 24-year simple imprisonment for cheating customers on the pretext of selling bungalows. According to Nagpur Additional District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, owner of Revati Associates and Infrastructure Limited Suhas Morey was sentenced a total of 24 years in jail in eight cases at the rate of three years for each case.
However, all the sentences will run concurrently. The commission described Morey as a white-collar criminal. It specified that Morey should pay a fine of Rs 3.2 lakh towards the collective fine for all these similar cases. In each case, More has been asked to pay. In each case, Morey was asked to pay Rs 25,000 towards fine and Rs 15,000 towards costs to the complainant towards the contempt in each case.
The judges said he could be released from jail if he returns the entire token amount along with interest to customers. On June 21 last year, Abhijit Kamble booked bunglow with Morey in Hingana, but Morey did not hand over the bunglow. On a complaint by Abhijit, the commission asked the builder to register the sale deed. If that is not possible, the builder was asked to return the booking amount of Rs 2.76 lakh with 12 per cent interest. But, Morey did not comply with the orders, forcing Kamble to approach the commission, which issued a non-bailable warrant against Morey.
As the police failed to apprehend him, the commission served notices on the police. However, the police later produced him before the commission. Morey, who agreed to comply with the commission’s orders, later he disappeared. Seven more customers duped by Morey approached the commission. The police apprehended him again and produced before the commission, which awarded 24-year jail term.
