Bangalore-based construction firm dupes NRI of Rs57 lakh

A leading Bangalore-based construction company has been accused of duping an NRI woman of Rs57 lakh after promising a duplex apartment in the city.

Juliana D’souza, a Bangalorean settled in the UAE, responded to an advertisement by Skyline Construction and Housing that said residential projects approved and financed by HSBC are available for NRIs.

As her family wanted to own a house in the city that they can use after retirement, D’souza approached the company, selected a flat and paid through a loan from HSBC.

Skyline signed a sale agreement with D’souza in July 2007 to construct and hand over a three-bedroom duplex apartment on the second floor of the residential complex in the heart of the city.

Though D’souza made the full payment, the company failed to construct and hand over the three-bedroom duplex apartment after five years, though it completed the construction of the building, she said in her complaint.

‘Evading response’
“I tried to communicate to Skyline many times but every time they gave evasive replies. This shows the company wanted to defraud customers staying abroad, who find it difficult to visit Bangalore,” she said in her complaint.

Skyline officials refused to comment on the issue, stating that they need to verify the complaint. Based on the complaint, Ashok Nagar police have registered a cheating case against Skyline.