Over 155 MahaRERA Complaints Target Ruparel Optima: “False Completion Certificates” and Inspection Denial Alleged
In December 2025, over 155 Ruparel Optima buyers filed MahaRERA complaints against the developer. They allege the builder issued false completion certificates to demand ₹6-10 lakh payments per flat for unfinished work. Their on-site inspection was denied, and the builder ignored mandatory interest set-offs from previous delay penalties, highlighting a systemic issue.
- Over 155 MahaRERA Complaints Target Ruparel Optima: “False Completion Certificates” and Inspection Denial Alleged
- Disputed Completion Certificates and Architect’s U-Turn
- Buyers Denied Site Access to Verify Work Claims
- Alleged Ignoring of Mandatory MahaRERA Interest Set-Off
- Systemic Issues at Ruparel Optima: A Pattern Emerges
- Understanding the Role of MahaRERA in Homebuyer Protection
- Broader Implications for Mumbai’s Real Estate Market
- Actionable Steps for Affected Ruparel Optima Allottees
A storm of over 155 MahaRERA complaints has engulfed the Ruparel Optima project in Mumbai. Homebuyers allege prolonged delays and serious regulatory non-compliance. Fresh disputes erupted in December 2025 over payment demands. These demands were based on contested completion certifications.
Buyers assert the developer raised premature financial claims. The demands targeted flooring, doors, windows, and electrical works. Each flat received notices for ₹2 to ₹12 lakh payments.
Disputed Completion Certificates and Architect’s U-Turn
The payment notices cited completion certificates dated 15 December. The project’s own architect provided these documents to the developer. Buyers immediately questioned the stated milestone completions.
They reported visibly unfinished work across multiple project towers. Consequently, buyers directly contacted the architect for clarifications. This prompted a significant follow-up letter from the professional.
Architectural firm’s clarification dated 17 December 2025 followed. It noted buyer complaints about certified but incomplete work. The letter asked the developer for photographic evidence.
The developer had seven working days to provide this proof. This sequence critically undermines the original certificate’s reliability. The Sprouts News Special Investigation Team reviewed this correspondence.
Buyers Denied Site Access to Verify Work Claims
Frustrated buyers organised a site visit on 25 December 2025. They aimed to physically inspect the claimed completed works. The group assembled at the Ruparel Optima project location.
Access to the actual flats and relevant floors was denied. Doors to the individual housing units remained firmly locked. The developer’s staff prohibited inspection of certified areas.
This refusal significantly heightened buyer suspicions and concerns. It suggested the claimed completions were potentially fabricated. Site verification remains a major unresolved point of contention.
Alleged Ignoring of Mandatory MahaRERA Interest Set-Off
A separate but critical issue involves mandatory interest set-off. MahaRERA’s final orders in earlier cases established a clear directive. Promoters must adjust delay interest against outstanding dues.
If interest payable exceeds the amount a buyer owes, it must be set off. The developer is barred from raising further payment demands beforehand. Buyers allege Ruparel Optima ignored this binding legal instruction.
Fresh financial demands were issued without any prior reconciliation. This represents a potential contempt of the regulatory authority’s orders. It compounds the financial distress faced by the awaiting residents.
Systemic Issues at Ruparel Optima: A Pattern Emerges
This incident is not an isolated billing dispute, buyers argue. It fits a pattern evidenced by 155+ MahaRERA complaints. Multiple final orders have already been passed against the promoter.
Many other cases remain under active adjudication currently. The scale suggests deeper systemic issues in project execution. Regulatory compliance and transparency appear consistently problematic.
The use of questioned certificates to raise funds is particularly alarming. It points to potential misrepresentation and unfair trade practices. Homebuyer trust in the developer has eroded completely.
Understanding the Role of MahaRERA in Homebuyer Protection
The Maharashtra Real Estate Regulatory Authority empowers purchasers. It adjudicates disputes between developers and allottees efficiently. Its orders are legally binding and enforceable like court decrees.
Key mandates include ensuring project completion as per promises. It prevents arbitrary and unjustified payment demands from promoters. The interest set-off rule is a crucial financial safeguard.
This case tests MahaRERA’s enforcement mechanisms and authority. The regulator must ensure strict compliance with its previous orders. Its response will set a precedent for other similar disputes.
Broader Implications for Mumbai’s Real Estate Market
The Ruparel Optima case reflects wider industry concerns. Delayed projects and disputed completions plague the Mumbai metro. Homebuyers are increasingly resorting to legal recourse via RERA.
This promotes accountability but highlights execution failures. It underscores the need for diligent promoter selection initially. Verifying past project delivery records is essential for buyers.
Transparency in documentation and site access is non-negotiable. The developer’s refusal to allow inspection is a major red flag. Such actions severely damage the sector’s credibility.
Also Read: Kidnapped for Property: Ulhasnagar BNS Scam Shocks City.
Actionable Steps for Affected Ruparel Optima Allottees
Affected buyers should formally respond to the payment demands. Cite the architect’s clarification letter as key evidence. File a fresh complaint with MahaRERA if necessary.
Highlight the denial of site inspection in your submission. Demand strict enforcement of the interest set-off directive. Seek an independent audit of the claimed work completion.
Collectively approach the authority for a joint hearing. Maintain all communication records with the developer. Consider legal counsel specializing in real estate regulatory law.
The Road Ahead: Scrutiny and Potential Resolution
MahaRERA must now scrutinize the disputed completion certificates. The architect’s subsequent clarification demands serious investigative weight. The denial of site access requires regulatory intervention.
The authority can mandate an independent third-party survey. It can also impose penalties for unjustified payment notices. Enforcement of its final orders is critical for credibility.
This case outcome will influence thousands of similar pending disputes. Sprouts News will monitor the regulatory proceedings closely. Homebuyer rights and promoter accountability hang in the balance.
Project Details:
Name: Ruparel Optima MahaRERA Complaints: 155+ (as of December 2025)
• Key Allegation:
Demands via questioned Completion Certificates
Current Status: Multiple orders passed; fresh disputes under scrutiny
The Dark Side of Ruparel Realty
Here are Investigative reports by Sprouts News, led by investigative journalist Unmesh Gujarathi, have published serious allegations of fraud and regulatory collusion against Ruparel Realty and its fraudulent chairman, Mahendra Ruparel, CEO Sanjeev Chandiramani, and Managing Director Amit Ruparel.
The key controversies involving Ruparel Realty, based on official rulings, police records, and media investigations. The issues span major project delays, police investigations for alleged fraud, and serious allegations from residents in redevelopment projects.
Official Regulatory Action: MahaRERA Orders Refunds & Relief
The Maharashtra Real Estate Regulatory Authority (MahaRERA) has formally sanctioned Ruparel Realty for failing to deliver projects.
• Ruparel Skygreens, Borivli: In 2024, MahaRERA granted relief to over 70 homebuyers due to extreme delays. The authority ordered the promoter to either refund buyers’ money with interest or hand over possession with compensation for the delay. The project was supposed to be completed by December 2021, but work remained unfinished for years, leading to the regulatory intervention.
Police Cases & Allegations of Major Fraud
Ruparel Realty and its directors have been named in multiple police investigations for alleged financial crimes.
• Economic Offences Wing (EOW) Case (Andheri): An FIR was registered against director Amit Ruparel and others for allegedly cheating a woman of ₹22.69 crore in a Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) project. The case involves allegations of forgery of signatures on a retirement deed and unauthorized mortgaging of property.
• Kandivali Police Case: Mumbai Police booked developers after an investor alleged he lost over ₹2 crores. The investor claimed the original developers sold the project to Ruparel Realty, which canceled his booking agreement without returning his money.
Specific Project Controversies & Resident Allegations
Beyond regulatory and police cases, specific projects have been at the center of severe allegations reported by media.
• Ruparel Iris, Matunga: A 2023 Sprouts News investigation alleged that in a redevelopment project, the builder stopped paying rent to original residents for six years, with one senior citizen family claiming over ₹64 lakhs in unpaid rent. Residents, some in their 80s, alleged the builder failed to complete the project for over 11 years despite a 3-4 year promise, leading some to threaten suicide protests.
• Consumer Complaint (Online Petition): A detailed 2024 public petition alleges fraudulent practices in the “Ruparel Skygreen” project in Kandivali West. The complainant states that after paying a ₹4 lakh booking in 2016, the company failed to provide proper allotment letters or proof of project permissions, and then refused to refund the money when confronted.
Media Investigations & Broader Pattern
Media reports and public reviews point to a consistent pattern of complaints against the builder.
Pattern of Alleged Fraud: A review on a consumer platform directly labels “Ruparel is a Fraud Builder” and describes its operations as a “planned fraud business model”.
Association with Other Fraud Cases: A 2018 report mentions an Economic Offences Wing case where individuals allegedly posed as partners of Ruparel Realty to dupe people of crores of rupees, indicating how the company’s name has been linked to fraud schemes.
The controversies show a pattern across different projects and over several years, involving formal legal action and serious allegations from homebuyers and residents.







