SC seeks Unitech's reply after buyers claim they did not get compensation
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday sought the response from real estate major Unitech Ltd on a plea seeking initiation of contempt proceedings against it for alleged non-compliance of its order to compensate some hassled home buyers for delayed delivery of their dream homes. A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud issued notices to the real estate firm on a joint contempt petition moved by 13 home buyers who claimed they were yet to receive a compensation of Rs 80,000 each as per the directions of the apex court on September 20 last year.
The bench was hearing the contempt plea, moved through advocate Brajesh Kumar, by the homebuyers including one Satish Kumar Pandey. The plea claimed that the apex court order directing the firm to pay Rs 80,000 each as compensation to 39 home buyers towards litigation cost and causing harassment to them, has not been complied with as yet. However, some of the beneficiaries of the order have been paid this amount, it said. The petitioners said they had personally approached the authorities of Unitech, but they did not pay any heed to the requests.
"The respondent has deliberately and willfully disobeyed the order of this court, which is writ apparent from its conduct and, therefore, a clear cut case for initiation of proceeding for contempt of the order dated September 20, 2017 is made out," it said. The apex court had directed real estate firm to pay Rs. 80,000 each as compensation to 39 home buyers towards litigation cost and causing harassment to them. The court had disposed of the appeal filed by the real estate company against the order of the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) and asked it to pay the cost within eight weeks to the home buyers.
The 39 home buyers had booked flats in Unitech's Vista housing project in Gurugram and sought a refund of their principal amount, totalling Rs. 16.55 crore with interest, after the developer, who had promised to give them possession by 2012, delayed it.