The Supreme Court on Tuesday extended till August 28 the time for demolition of the illegally constructed 40-storey Emerald Court Twin Tower project of real estate developer Supertech Ltd in Noida (New Okhla Industrial Development Authority). A bench headed by Justice DY Chandrachud allowed the request of Edphis Engineering, which was awarded the demolition contract. The previous deadline for demolition was May 22.
On Tuesday, the engineering firm’s counsel sought extension of time citing security issues. Initially, the bench, which also included Justice PS Narasimha, was not inclined to consider the request for three months and remarked, “This is nothing but an attempt to delay.”
However, advocate Gaurav Agarwal, amicus curiae, was of the opinion that if the question is of security, then the date can be extended. He also suggested that a status report be sought. The bench said the director of the Central Building Research Institute had also indicated in a letter dated May 11 that it should be deferred.
Allowing the request, the bench directed that the Noida authorities also file a status report before the next date of hearing. The Supreme Court had on August 31, 2021 ordered the demolition of the Supertech Twin Towers in “collusion” with the Noida authorities for violating building norms. The top court said illegal constructions have to be dealt with strictly to ensure compliance with the rule of law. In February, the Noida Authority had informed the top court that the demolition work had begun and would be completed by May 22, 2022.
