SC orders demolition of Supertech’s twin towers in Noida

Twin 40-floor residential towers in Noida, which house over 900 flats and were built by real estate firm Supertech, will be demolished over the violation of construction by-laws, the Supreme Court said on August 31 as it upheld an April 2014 decision of the Allahabad High Court.

The company has said it will file a review petition against the judgment.

A two-member Bench of Justices DY Chandrachud and MR Shah slammed the towers’ illegal construction, which it ruled was achieved by collusion and an “unholy nexus” between Noida authorities and the builders.

People who had bought homes in these projects must be refunded in two months and the cost of demolition, which must take place in three months, is to be borne by Supertech, the court ruled.

The court also slammed a “rampant increase in unauthorised construction” and stressed that protection of the environment and safety of residents had to be considered at all times.

Supertech had defended its construction by insisting there was nothing illegal. Among other arguments made by Vikas Singh, the lawyer representing the company, was that the residents welfare association that filed the case did not exist when the construction started.