08 October,2015 10:41 AM IST | | Vinay Dalvi
Fed up of the uncertainty looming over the completion of his projects, which had resulted in mounting financial losses, a reputed builder from Thane committed suicide last afternoon
Fed up of the uncertainty looming over the completion of his projects, which had resulted in mounting financial losses, a reputed builder from Thane committed suicide last afternoon.
Suraj Parmar ended his life by shooting himself in the head
According to Kasarvadavli Police, 45-year-old Suraj Ramesh Parmar, chairperson and managing director of the Cosmos Group, shot himself with his personal .32 calibre pistol in a sample bungalow at one of his upcoming projects in Kasarvadavli.
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Parmar - who was also president of Maharashta Chamber of Housing Industry (MCHI), Thane - left a 15-page suicide note, wherein he blamed red tape and non-payment of loans as primary reasons the drastic step. Cops are currently scrutinising the suicide note. He is survived by his wife and two sons, who are pursuing architecture.
Parmar had been in the construction business for the last two decades and had garnered fame after executing some top-notch projects in Thane, Mumbai and Lonavla. Parmar had built several projects in Thane like Cosmos Lounge, Cosmos Jewels, Cosmos Springs and Cosmos Orchid. All his projects were constructed at prime locations.
A tragic end
An officer from Kasarvadavli Police said Parmar had reached his Cosmos Hawaiian project in Kasarvadavali around 1 pm. He drove alone to the site after dropping his driver at another project site, claiming that he had some personal work. He entered a sample bungalow and asked the office boy to bring him tea.
It was the office boy who found Parmar lying in a pool of blood, with a gunshot wound to the right-hand side of the head. Senior police officers like Thane Commissioner of Police (Thane) Param Bir Singh and Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) V V Lakshmi Narayana immediately reached the spot. Parmar was taken to Jupiter Hospital, Thane, where he was declared dead. Later, his body was sent to JJ Hospital for post-mortem.
Final explanation
In his 15-page suicide note, Parmar mentioned minute details about how he had fallen into a bottomless pit of loans and how his projects were getting delayed for want of permissions from civic authorities. In one of the pages, Parmar wrote that he believed the downfall started after the Income Tax Department raided one of his offices.
"We are reading the suicide note, which is very detailed and claims that many of his projects were stuck. This resulted in mounting financial liabilities," said the joint commissioner of police.
Builders speak
"He was a dynamic person and a popular builder, who constructed flats for middle-income groups. At this moment, work is underway at 10 of his projects. Who could have imagined that such a person could commit suicide," said Sandeep Karnavat, director, Sunjana Realtors Pvt Ltd.
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Commenting on Parmar's death, MCHI (Thane) Treasurer Sonesh Dedhia said, "Parmar was a gentleman and would help anybody in Thane - be it small-time actors or theatre personalities. Builders are facing problems with file clearance, due to which projects are stuck in limbo. A single window system for issuing clearances is the need of the hour."
Sources in the MCHI (Thane) said Parmar had tendered his resignation 10 days ago, stating that he was tied up in his work. The resignation had not been accepted. Mukesh Savla, MCHI (Thane) founder and director of Manas Group, said, "Builders are facing problems, but that doesn't mean one commits suicide. We must fight and move ahead in life."
