The Supreme Court on November 14, 2022, reiterated its commitment for the home buyers of Amrapali when it said that it will constitute a fresh bench to hear the plea of home buyers seeking delivery of their homes.
A bench comprising Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud and Justice JB Pardiwala was urged by the home buyers’ counsel to set up a fresh bench as the matters pertaining to the Amrapali were being heard by a bench headed by the then CJI UU Lalit, who demitted office on November 8, 2022.
“I will constitute a bench,” the CJI said on Monday.
The plea was requested by lawyer M.L. Lahoty, appearing for the home buyers. He argued that a fresh bench was needed to be set up for hearing the grievances of home buyers.
A bench of former CJI Lalit and Justice Bela M Trivedi had been hearing the batch of petitions relating to the Amrapali Group.
Besides the Enforcement Directorate, the Economic Offence Wing (EoW) of the Delhi Police and the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) have also been investigating various cases lodged against former officials of the real estate company.
The Supreme Court, in its July 23, 2019 verdict, had cracked down on errant builders for breaching the trust reposed by home buyers and ordered the cancellation of registration of the Amrapali by RERA and ousted it from prime properties in the National Capital Region (NCR) by nixing land leases.
The Apex Court had directed a probe by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) into alleged money laundering by realtors, providing relief to over 42,000 home buyers of the Amrapali Group with the verdict.
(The writer is CEO, Track2Realty)
