News: Supreme Court weighs a dedicated court for Unitech promoters’ trials after nearly a decade without one-17-09-2026
The Supreme Court on Wednesday suggested designating an exclusive court for criminal cases against Unitech Group’s former promoters, noting that nearly a decade has passed since investigations began without a trial.
A bench of justices JB Pardiwala and KV Viswanathan said homebuyers are on the roads while the accused sit tight, that this cannot go on endlessly, and that one court will be designated for the case if needed.
Sanjay and Ajay Chandra, their father Ramesh Chandra and Sanjay’s wife Preeti Chandra are among the main accused. They face a money laundering probe with estimated proceeds of crime above Rs 7,000 crore, of which the Enforcement Directorate (ED) says it has attached Rs 2,600 crore. The trial is yet to begin although the brothers were arrested in 2021.
They also face 63 cases investigated by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Delhi Police, with charge-sheets filed but no trials. A Saket court hears the EOW cases and Patiala House Courts the money laundering case. ED has sought to have them tried together, with a decision expected by October 12. The bench asked EOW and ED for status reports and listed the matter for orders on September 30.
ED counsel Annam Venkatesh said ED cannot attach more property once trial starts and that siphoned money was layered through foreign tax havens. The bench worried that 63 sets of evidence would mean no end to the case, and urged investigators to find where the Rs 14,000-17,000 crore deposited by homebuyers went.
After the arrests, the Centre set up a board to run the company, which in 2021 promised 15,000 units in two years but faced hurdles including unpaid dues and demands from land-owning authorities. The board said Rs 16,970 crore would be available if projected recoveries materialise, and a forensic audit found Rs 13,000 crore laundered by the Chandra brothers remains untapped.
