Builder's suicide puts spotlight on red tape

Mumbai

THE death of Indian property developer Suraj Parmar might have been a quiet tragedy had it not been for the 13-page suicide note he left behind.

The document outlining alleged harassment from government officials and demands for bribes has become a rallying cry for India's beleaguered property industry. After years of seeing profits curtailed by worsening red tape and byzantine approvals processes, the industry is pointing to the incident to push for change that has so far proved elusive.