On Sunday, the 32-story Supertech twin towers in Noida collapsed. These two towers, Apex and Ceyanne, were demolished as a result of a group of mostly elderly people’s tenacious pursuit of justice. These men pursued justice despite obstacles including their advanced age, extensive travel, and few resources.
The conflict started in 2009 when four locals complained that Supertech had broken construction regulations by constructing the twin towers. Uday Bhan Singh Teotia (age 80), S K Sharma (age 74), Ravi Bajaj (age 65), and M K Jain made up the core group (59).
The society had 660 apartments spread out over 15 storeys when residents first began to arrive. The formation of the Apartment Owners Association (AOA), which was majorly of senior citizens.
Residents felt duped right away since the builders didn’t deliver what they had promised. They would enjoy a lavish lifestyle surrounded by 82% open space, as Supertech had promised.
“We were promised to live like royalty, but after moving into the community in 2009, we discovered that just a portion of the services we had paid for had actually been provided. A lot of the information in the booklet was false. According to Uday Bhan Singh Teotia, AOA president of Emerald Court, even the building materials utilized were of substantially lesser quality than was initially promised.
The locals were also put off by the state of the community during the 2010 monsoons. Some folks had to use boats to enter their automobiles since the basements were underwater.
Soon later, in 2010, the developer began excavating more land where a shopping center and garden were intended. They later learned that the developer had plans to erect Apex and Ceyanne, two additional 40-floor structures, nearby.
“At first, I believed that the builder was being kind by providing us with a second pool. From my balcony, I got a stunning view all the way to the freeway.
I spent an extra Rs 70,000 for this view back in 2009. It was beyond my belief to have 40 storeys block that view, said Rajesh Rana, a former AOA member and owner of an apartment in Aster-2, to Hindustan Times.
The twin towers are about nine meters apart from this Aster-2. The National Building Code of 2005 and the Noida authority’s development regulations both stipulate that there must be a minimum of a 16-meter space between two residential structures. One of the main arguments made by the residents contributed to the case’s success.
They contacted the police, the Noida authority, and the builders but received no satisfactory reply.
In December 2012, they went to the Allahabad High Court and knocked on the door.
The majority of people who live at Emerald Court are former government employees. Other individuals who were active besides the four named were Vashisht Sharma (60), Rajpal Tandon (85), and Gaurav Devnath (50).
They took third-class trains to the Allahabad High Court sessions, according to Teotia, a former DIG with the CRPF.
Supertech had already built 13 stories by this point.
The towers were to be demolished once the top court issued a ruling in favor of the association two years later. In addition, the court criticized the Noida Authority and ordered the builder to compensate the purchasers.
But the locals’ problems weren’t yet done. The Supreme Court heard an appeal from Supertech and Noida Authority over the HC decision.
The Supreme Court held more than 30 hearings during the seven-year legal battle.
tearing down Supertech towers
On Sunday, the Supertech twin towers were destroyed. Photo by Satya Swara via Twitter
The cost of the legal defense came to approximately Rs 1 crore. The project was led and funds were raised by MK Jain, who passed away in 2021 as a result of COVID. They rapped on each apartment’s door.
“By that time, there were about 500 occupied flats, therefore we decided to demand Rs 10,000 from each unit. While some did, many did not want to pay. We knocked on doors and tried to persuade folks. At that point, Jain came up and offered to cover further legal costs, urging others to chip in their fair amount as well.
He was a pioneer but went away last year from COVID-19. We are devastated that he cannot be present to celebrate the triumph with us today, Bajaj told Hindustan Times.
They also had to raise money for another round after this. Each apartment owner spent between Rs. 17,000 and 20,000.
The Supreme Court upheld the High Court’s 2014 ruling in August of 2021. The Noida authority officials, according to the Court, reeked of corruption.
The Supreme Court ordered that the whole sum paid by home buyers be reimbursed, plus 12% interest. Additionally, they mandated that the Emerald Court RWA be compensated Rs 2 crores.
On Sunday, a nine-year court battle for this group of older folks concluded.
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