Noida twin towers: SC deadline given to Supertech to refund homebuyers ends today

The deadline for real estate company Supertech to return money to the homebuyers of the illegal twin tower ends on Monday, failing which the Supreme Court could send its directors to jail over non-compliance.

The apex court had earlier warned the builders to adhere to the decided time frame for demolishing the 40-storey twin towers of its Emerald Court project in Uttar Pradesh’s Noida.

More than 250 homebuyers are yet to get their refund with interest after over four months having lapsed.

In view of the same, the top court took a stringent view and asked the Mumbai-based builders last week to pay back or face jail.

“We are going to send your directors to jail. You are playing truant with the Supreme Court.” a bench of justices Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud and AS Bopanna said reviewing its order last Wednesday.

On Sunday, Supertech said that it awarded a letter of intent related to demolition of its illegal twin towers, which has sought pollution and environment-related clearances from the Noida Authority.

“The selection of the demolition agency was done jointly by the Noida Authority as well as the CBRI. As per the analysis by the Noida Authority, the firm is technically sound to carry out the demolition safely,” Supertech chairman RK Arora said in a statement.

Arora clarified that the demolition firm has sought no objection certificates (NOCs) from different agencies with regard to transportation, storage and use of explosives, environment and pollution control agencies, traffic diversion plans etc, all of which are to be provided by the Noida Authority.

“On providing the required NOCs by the Noida Authority, the demolition agency will soon chart out schedules for demolition and carry out the same according to directions from the Noida Authority,” he had added.

The twin towers ‘Apex and Ceyane’ in Noida Sector 93A were declared illegal by the Supreme Court on August 31, 2021, and the apex court had given three months to the company to demolish and default on refunding the money to the affected homebuyers under the supervision of officials of the Noida Authority.