BEFORE THE MAHARASHTRA REAL ESTATE REGULATORY AUTHORITY, MUMBAI SUO MOTO ADVERTISMENT COMPLAINT NO. SM12600159 Maharashtra Real Estate Regulatory Authority …COMPLAINANT/S Versus AJIT SAKHARAM CHAVAN …RESPONDENT/S MahaRERA Project Registration No. P51800020579 Project Name: “VIGHNAHARTA” Coram: Sudhakar Deshmukh, Director Complaint Management, MahaRERA (As per power Delegation Order of the Authority Date 12.08.2025) Hetvi Nagda appeared on behalf of the Promoter /Respondent. ORDER 29th April, 2026 (Through Hybrid Mode as per MahaRERA Circular No: 49/2025) 1.FACTS OF THE CASE: a) The Maharashtra Real Estate Regulatory Authority (MahaRERA) has taken cognizance of an advertisement published by the Promoter, AJIT SAKHARAM CHAVAN, in form of poster, for an alleged violation of mandatory advertisement disclosure norms. b) The said advertisement pertains to the real estate project “VIGHNAHARTA”, registered with MahaRERA under Project Registration No. P51800020579. It was observed that the advertisement does not mention the Quick Response (QR Code) and registered project number in the size and specifications as mandated under MahaRERA Order No. 46C/2025 dated 08.04.2025 along with MahaRERA Order No. 46/2023 dated 29.05.2023. c) Issuance of the advertisement in such manner is in violation of MahaRERA Orders No. 46/2023 dated 29.05.2023, 46A/2023 dated 25.07.2023 and 46C/2025 dated 08.04.2025. d) In the hearing dated 22.04.2026, Hetvi Nagda appeared on behalf of the Respondent and uploaded written submissions; hence, the matter was reserved for order. 2. SUBMISSION OF RESPONDENT IN BRIEF: The Respondent states and submits that; a) The Respondent categorically denies having issued, published, or authorized the advertisement dated 28.02.2026 referred to in the Suo Motu notice, and submits that the said billboard was erected without its knowledge, consent, or approval. The Respondent further states that it has no information regarding the location or the third party responsible for the same. b) The logo appearing on the impugned advertisement is not its official or registered logo. The authentic logo of the Respondent differs materially, as evidenced by its official records, thereby indicating that the advertisement is unauthorized and not attributable to the Respondent. The use of an incorrect logo and absence of authorization strongly suggests that the advertisement is the result of unauthorized actions or misrepresentation by an external entity, for which the Respondent cannot be held liable. c) The alleged non-compliance with MahaRERA Orders No. 46/2023, 46A/2023, and 46C/2025 concerning font size and display specifications cannot be attributed to the Respondent, as it neither commissioned nor controlled the design, content, or publication of the said advertisement and there has been no intent to violate RERA provisions or mislead the public, and that it consistently adheres to strict internal compliance protocols for all authorized advertisements issued by it. 3. LEGAL FRAMEWORK AND PROVISIONS a) The Authority, exercising powers under Section 11(2) of the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016, (the Act) mandates that any advertisement or prospectus issued or published by a promoter shall prominently display the website address of the Authority and include the registration number obtained from the Authority, along with such other matters as may be incidental thereto. b) The Authority’s direction for mandatory QR code disclosure stems from: i. MahaRERA Order No. 46/2023 (dated 29.05.2023): Mandated the prominent display of a legible, readable, and detectable QR Code next to the MahaRERA Registration Number and Website Address in all advertisements published after August 1, 2023. ii. MahaRERA Order No. 46A/2023 (dated 25.07.2023): Reiterated the effective date of August 1, 2023, and specified that failure to comply shall be construed as a violation, subject to penalty under Section 63 of the Act. iii. MahaRERA Order No. 46C/2025 (dated 08.04.2025): Reiterated the effective date of August 1, 2023, and specified the directions issued by the Authority in MahaRERA Order Nos. 46/2023, 46A/2023 and 46B/2023 dated 29.05.2023, 25.07.2023 and 21.08.2023 respectively and specified that failure to comply shall be construed as a violation, subject to penalty under Section 63 and/or 65 of the Act. 4. FINDING AND CONCLUSION: - a) Upon perusal of the material on record, it is established that the Respondent has published an advertisement without mentioning Quick Response (QR Code) as mandated under MahaRERA Order No. 46/2025, thereby contravening the provisions of MahaRERA Orders No. 46/2023, 46A/2023 and 46C/2025. Accordingly, the Respondent is held liable for violation of the mandatory advertisement disclosure norms. b) The submission of the Respondent that said billboard was erected without its knowledge, consent, or approval and logo appearing on the impugned advertisement is not its official or registered logo. The authentic logo of the Respondent differs materially, as evidenced by its official records, thereby indicating that the advertisement is unauthorized and not attributable to the Respondent cannot be accepted as a valid defence. c) It is observed that the Respondent has failed to place on record any cogent documentary evidence, except for a photograph of a logo, to substantiate its contention that the logo used in the advertisement pertains to a different entity. d) Upon perusal of the Promoter Respondent’s official website (https://vighnaharta-group.com/home), it is noted that the logo displayed therein is identical to the logo used in the impugned advertisement; accordingly, the submissions advanced by the Respondent are found to be misleading and devoid of merit. e) Compliance with statutory provisions and directions issued by the Authority is obligatory, and any deviation, irrespective of intent, constitutes a breach under the regulatory framework. f) In view of the above, the Authority concludes that the Respondent is liable for the said violation, and appropriate action under Section 63 of the Act is warranted. 5. In view of the established violation of the Authority ‘s Order and the principles of transparency under the Act, the following directions are issued: a) A penalty of Rs. 25,000/- (Rupees Twenty-five Thousand Only) is hereby imposed on the Promoter AJIT SAKHARAM CHAVAN for the violation referred to hereinabove. b) The said penalty shall be payable by the Promoter within a period of fifteen (15) days from the date of enforcement of this Order. c) In the event of failure to pay the penalty within the stipulated period, the penalty amount shall stand doubled. d) If the Promoter fails to pay the applicable penalty amount even after three (3) months from the date of this order, the Authority shall be at liberty to initiate further legal action in accordance with the provisions of the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016 and the rules and regulations framed thereunder, without any further notice. e) The Technical and Finance Departments of the MahaRERA Authority are mandated to authenticate the payment of the penalty prior to initiating the processing of any applications, including but not limited to extensions, corrections, and change of name, pertaining to the concerned project. f) In view of the above, the present complaint stands disposed of. SUDHAKAR Digitally signed by SUDHAKAR VISHNU VISHNU DESHMUKH Date: 2026.04.29 DESHMUKH 15:40:31 +05'30' (Sudhakar Deshmukh) Director (Complaint Management), MahaRERA