Homebuyers take to Noida streets in protest; fellow buyer detained by police

While Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath were busy inaugurating the Delhi Metro’s new Botanical Garden to Kalkaji Mandir line, hundreds of homebuyers took to Noida streets to protest the delay in possession of flats. The buyers also alleged that, Ajay Kaul, a resident of Jaypee Greens Wish Town, was detained by Noida Police from his flat around 9.30 am today, when the protest today was about to start.

Speaking to City Spidey, Kaul said he was asked to accompany the police to the Sector 24 station. “I was told that the ADM wanted to speak to me. I first refused and asked for papers but later accompanied the policemen to the station. But I was made to wait there and not even given an explanation to why I was being detained. On repeatedly asking, the policemen threatened to put me behind bars,” he said. Kaul is employed with an IT company and has played a pivotal role in homebuyer protests in the past couple of years.

Kaul added that he was not allowed to meet his relatives and fellow homebuyers who had reaached the police station.

Meanwhile, the detention of a fellow buyer has enraged protesters today, who demanded Kaul’s immediate release.

Pramod Kumar, a buyer of Jaypee Garden Isles, who had taken part in the protest today, told City Spidey, “We had planned to take our march to the Botanical Garden Metro station and Amity University, but were stopped short by the police. We are just innocent homebuyers. What harm can we do?”

Buyers from several projects from Noida and Greater Noida had gathered in various locations in the city and joined in a single group at Film City, Noida. The protesters, all clad in black, were also wearing black bands on their head and arms.

Buyers told City Spidey that despite the promises made by the government, they did not know what was going to happen. “We were first promised 50,000 flats but that number has now gone down to just about 10,000 to 15,000, if sources are to be believed. We do not know which projects are being given priority,” said Pramod Kumar, a buyer.

“Are the authorities selling us a lie? We had some hope with the new Yogi government and its ministerial committee, but even their promises now seem hollow. It now seems that the government and the builders are on one side and we buyers are on the other. While FIRs are being lodged against builders, the police are detaining buyers!” he added.

Despite several attempts, both the SP City and the SSP of Noida Police could not be contacted. On contacting BN Singh, district magistrate of Noida, he said he could not comment at the moment, as the chief minister was leaving after today’s inauguration visit.