Shattered Dreams: NRI Homebuyers Trapped in Devanahalli Real Estate Nightmare

As of August 8th, 2025, thousands of Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) who invested in the Ozone Urbana township project near Bengaluru remain trapped in a prolonged legal and emotional nightmare. The case highlights the growing crisis faced by NRI homebuyers in India, where the dream of investing in real estate back home has turned into a nightmare.

At the center of this crisis is Errol John Noronha, a former Dubai-based NRI who had invested in two apartments in the Ozone Urbana project. Noronha's situation reflects a larger pattern of builders making false promises, selling stalled properties, and continuing to collect money from unsuspecting buyers even as construction remains halted.

According to legal advisor Sathies Kumar, over 2,000 homebuyers are affected in this project alone, with 60-70 buyers already represented legally. The human toll is staggering, with defense personnel, cancer patients, and even retired armed forces officers losing their life savings. Despite court orders, the builder has not paid a single rupee, and banks have allegedly continued to attempt to debit customer accounts, with some buyers even receiving arrest warrants for default.

The case has raised serious concerns over the role of regulatory bodies, with Noronha alleging that the Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA) has failed to stop the sale of properties in the stalled township. Efforts to file FIRs have also been met with resistance, leading to allegations of systemic failure and potential collusion.

As legal battles continue and construction remains stalled, thousands of Indian citizens, many living abroad, are trapped in a bureaucratic and legal quagmire, fighting to reclaim their hard-earned money and dignity. This case underscores the urgent need for real estate reforms, better enforcement of RERA rules, and swift legal redressal to prevent such tragedies from occurring in the future.