3 min readNoidaUpdated: Jun 8, 2026 10:46 AM IST
A day after a 46-year-old resident of a multi-storey society in Greater Noida West was killed after a portion of cement plaster fell on him from a 19th-floor balcony, it has been alleged that the builder, despite being repeatedly informed about the alleged lack of maintenance since 2022, refused to carry out any repair work.
The victim, identified as Vikas Chawla, was a resident of Arihant Ambar society and was riding his motorcycle at the time of the incident, police said, adding that a maintenance manager has been arrested in connection with the case. The sole earning member of his family, Chawla is survived by his parents, wife, and two children– a class 12 student and a 5-year-old son.
Amrish Kumar (40), secretary of Apartment Owners’ Association (AOA), Arihant Ambar society, told The Indian Express that the incident occurred around 4 pm on Saturday, when Chawla was exiting the society on his motorcycle to purchase things for his house.
“Soon, a piece of plaster fell on him from the 19th floor balcony, causing his motorcycle to lose balance. Subsequently, his head struck the exhaust area of a nearby wall. He was rushed to a hospital where he was declared dead,” Kumar said.
Raising concern over the structural integrity of the buildings, Kumar said, “Since Noida Extension was developed in 2013, apartments were built in the area at a rapid pace. A 3BHK flat in this society now costs around 1.4 crores. By October 2022 plaster had started falling from balconies and other parts of the buildings in the society,” he added.
According to Kumar, possession of the flats took place in 2019, and currently 625 out of 628 flats are occupied. “The flats were handed over to the owners on time, and the builder eventually started repair work. However, the work was later stopped,” he said.
He claimed that in April 2023, the builder had given a written assurance in an agreement that repair and painting work would be carried out.
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“Later, the builder left and the society was transferred to the AOA, but before that he had promised to complete the repair works. But when he failed, we approached the Uttar Pradesh Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA) and the case went through several hearings,” he said. Kumar added that amid the court hearings, the residents approached the builder yet again, requesting him to complete the repair works.
Kumar said that around seven months ago, some repair work was undertaken, only to be halted soon after. “The builder always cited excuses to delay the repair work. Sometimes he said that labourers were not available because they had gone back home to vote during the state polls,” he said.
Kumar further alleged that the builder was informed multiple times about plaster chipping off from the balconies of several apartments. He added that a complaint regarding the builder was sent to the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) on May 2.
With no action being taken, residents at a society meeting on May 24 decided to form a tender committee and invite bids for painting and repair work. “But this (accident) happened yesterday (Saturday),” he said.
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Meanwhile, the police said a case has been registered for causing death by negligence under Section 106 (1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
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