Have complied with order, deposited interest: Unitech to Supreme Court

NEW DELHI: Real estate company Unitech today told the Supreme Court that they have complied with its direction and deposited 14 per cent interest on Rs 16.55 crore invested by 39 home buyers at its Gurugram's project.

The lawyer representing the firm told a bench comprising Justices Dipak Misra and A M Khanwilkar that they have complied with all the directions given by the apex court.

The bench has asked its registry to distribute the money among the investors on a pro-rata basis.

The court had on April 24 directed the firm to deposit 14 per cent interest on Rs 16.55 crore invested by 39 buyers by today and warned it that failure to meet the deadline could invite attaching the realtor's property.

These 39 home buyers had booked flats in Unitech's Vista housing project in Gurugram. They had sought a refund of their principal amount, totalling Rs 16.55 crore with interest, after the developer, which had promised to give the possession by 2012, delayed it.

The apex court on February 20 had asked the developer to deposit interest on the money invested by these home buyers and had said that interest would be calculated from January 1, 2010.

The bench had directed the registry to disburse 90 per cent of this amount to home buyers on pro-rata basis, as was done while giving refund of the principal amount.

However, it had said that issue of compensation will be deliberated upon later.

The court on January 12 had directed that Rs two crore deposited by Unitech with its registry as principal amount, be distributed among 39 home buyers.

It had in August last year directed the embattled real estate firm to deposit Rs 15 crore principal amount by September-end to pay back investors and home buyers who were not given possession of the flats on time.

The investors had told the court that they had paid money to the firm on time and the company was scheduled to hand over possession of the flats in 2012 but had not till date.

Over two dozen home buyers of Unitech's housing projects in Noida and Gurugram had approached the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) after the builder failed to give them possession of the flats as the per schedule.

The consumer forum had asked Unitech to refund the money to the home buyers with interest.