The Supreme Court on Monday asked a local authority in Uttar Pradesh to deposit ₹66.82 crore, received from realty firm Unitech Ltd, with its registry to refund those who have opted out of one of its housing schemes in Greater Noida.
A Bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra, however, made it clear that the aggrieved persons, who had booked plots in the Uniworld City-Uni Homes Plots, Sector-MU, Greater Noida, of the project, could approach the consumer court for redressal of their grievances.
The Bench, which also comprised Justices A.M. Khanwilkar and D.Y. Chandrachud, asked lawyer Pawan Shree Agrawal, assisting the court as an amicus curiae to verify the names and other details of the plot applicants who wanted refund.
Create portal
Earlier, the court had asked Mr. Agrawal to create a portal for registering the names of the buyers of homes or plots of the Unitech Ltd who wanted refund by opting out of the realty firm’s housing schemes.
Accrued interest
“In the meantime, Greater Noida shall deposit ₹66.82 crore along with accrued interest in as much as the said amount belongs to the developer, before the registry of this court. Pawan Shree Agrawal shall verify the portal in respect of the present project, viz. Uniworld City-Uni Homes Plots Sector-MU, Greater Noida so that this court can direct for pro-rata disbursement of the said amount,” the Bench said.
It said that “as far as other grievances are concerned, the consumers can approach the consumer courts concerned and the dispute between the developer and the Greater Noida shall be addressed in due course”.
The court posted the batch of petitions including the one filed by Unitech Ltd and the plot buyers’ association for hearing on September 18.
Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for the Unitech Ltd, said that 100 acre of land was allotted to the developer which was to deposit ₹555 crore to the Greater Noida Authority and as of now, ₹325 crore, including the stamp duty, has been paid.
He said that around ₹67 crore of the plot buyers was with the Greater Noida Authority.
Around 350 people had applied for the plots in the housing scheme, Uniworld City-Uni Homes Plots, Sector-MU, at Greater Noida.
