Bhubaneswar: More than 20 people on Monday lodged a complaint at the Economic Offence Wing (EOW) of the Crime Branch against Hi-Tech chairman Tirupati Panigrahi and three directors alleging that the company had failed to provide them flats after collecting money for it.
The aggrieved customers of Hi-Tech Estates and Promoters Pvt Ltd filed the case against Tirupati Panigrahi, Tirupati Choudhary, Madhusudan Panigrahi and Bhaskar Choudhary.
Though Hi-Tech had promised to hand over the flats in 2013, the company had not kept its words. Now the customers have neither got the flats nor the money they had invested for the purpose.
An aggrieved customer, said, “Panigrahi did not keep his commitment. Therefore, we had formed an association and met him. But, he (Panigrahi) is only extending deadlines. Besides, we had signed an MoU so that the project can take off. However, nothing has been done yet.”
“Panigrahi can arrange Rs 63 crore and deposit to the court registry whereas to start our project he needs only Rs 2-3 crore,” he added.
Another customer alleged, “In 2011, I had booked a 2 BHK flat and have paid Rs 11.33 lakh out of Rs 15.90 lakh, the cost of the flat. However, he did not deliver a flat in 2013 as committed. Then he went to jail and came back but has not done anything. He is only giving assurances.”
Another customer stated, “The project started In 2010 and I booked a flat in 2011. The flat was supposed to be delivered within two years with a six-month grace period. The deadline is long over but we have yet to get a flat. Their intention is not start work of the project.”
A sobbing woman customer asked, “How will we live when he (Panigrahi) defrauds us? How long we will wait for the money or a flat?