The Supreme Court is turning out to be the last resort of homebuyers who are facing undue delay in getting their flats despite meeting their financial obligations. On Wednesday, the court came to rescue of investors of Unitech’s Vistas residential project in Gurugram even as over 100 similar victims of Amrapali Group sought judicial help.
In the first case involving 39 homebuyers who invested in Unitech’s Vistas residential project in Gurugram, the court directed the company to pay Rs 80,000 to each of the litigants as cost for the mental agony suffered and litigation costs incurred by the homebuyers. The flat buyers had previously received the principal amount and interest following an order by the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC).
The 39 homebuyers heaved a sigh of relief after a Bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra brought an end to a five-year litigation that began with the flat owners approaching the consumer forum against Unitech. The project was started in 2009 with the promise of handing over possession by December 2012.
However, when promises failed to fructify, the consumers demanded compensation along with refund of their invested amount.
The NCDRC in June 2015 ordered refund of money invested at an interest rate of 12 per cent.
The company went to the Supreme Court challenging the order. Finally, the court ensured that the principal amount of Rs 16.55 crore and interest component of Rs 15.6 crore is disbursed to the 39 consumers. With Wednesday’s order to pay compensation at the rate of Rs 80,000 each, the settlement became final.
In the second case, over 100 hassled homebuyers, who had booked dream homes with Amrapali Group moved the SC on Wednesday claiming protection at par with Jaypee homebuyers after insolvency proceedings were initiated against Amrapali by Bank of Baroda.
The homebuyers claimed they neither got possession of flats nor refund of their hard-earned money invested in Amrapali Centurion Park-low Rise project, Amrapali Centurion Park-Terrace Homes and Amrapali Centurion Park-Tropical Garden at Greater Noida in Uttar Pradesh. More than 5,000 flats were to be built in approximately 40 towers in a phased manner.