News: SC Asks Unitech To Pay Litigation Charges To 39 Vistas Home Buyers, Disposes Of Case-01.11.2017

SC asks Unitech to pay litigation charges to 39 Vistas home buyers, disposes of case

The Supreme Court on Wednesday disposed of appeals of 39 homebuyers of Unitech's Vistas project in Gurugram, asking the developer to pay an extra Rs 80,000 per buyer for litigation cost and mental agony.

The company has already deposited a total Rs 32.6 crore with the court's registery, which has been disbursed to the home buyers. "This includes Rs 16.5 crore of principal amount and interest rate at 14% per annum effective January 1, 2010," informed advocate Pawanshree Agrawal, who represents the aggrieved buyers.

"A bench of chief justice Dipak Misra, Justice AM Khanwilkar and Justice DY Chandrachud today directed Unitech to pay an extra Rs 80,000 per buyer for mental agony and litigation charges within four weeks," he said.

Home buyers have also been asked to return the original papers of their properties to Unitech.

The apex court had directed Unitech on February 20 to pay interest at 14% per year on the investments made by 39 home buyers of the delayed project in Sector 70, Gurugram. The interest is payable from January 1, 2010.

The court had directed Unitech to pay the principal amount and the interest payable in two earlier orders, which the company complied with.

The National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission had imposed a 12% penalty on Unitech in June 2015 for delaying the delivery of flats in Vistas project. The builder moved the Supreme Court against the commission’s order in August 2015. Launched in mid-2009, the Vistas project was to be delivered in December 2012.