SC asks Unitech to pay interest to flat buyers or face attachment

New Delhi, April 24 (IANS) The Supreme Court on Monday asked real estate major Unitech to deposit interest on the money paid by flat buyers at its project at Gurugram by May 8, cautioning it that failure to deposit the interest may invite attachment of its property.

Refusing more time to the realtor, the bench of Justice Dipak Misra and Justice A.M. Khanwilkar said: "Let these matters be listed for May 8 by which time amount as directed on earlier occasions shall be deposited failing which this court may think of attaching the property of the appellant company."

The top court by its February 20 order had directed Unitech to pay interest at the rate of 14 per cent to 39 flat buyers at its Vistas project but who later chose to withdraw and sought both payment of their principal amount and interest thereon. These flat buyers had paid Rs 16.55 crore to the builder and had sought both the principal amount and the interest thereon after builder did not handover the possession of the flats as promised by 2012.

"Let the money come", the bench said as counsel for the real estate major sought more time to deposit the interest amount as directed by the court by its February 20 order.

The court had said that interest would be calculated from January 1, 2010 till Unitech deposited the principal amount with the top court registry. The court had on February 20 said that 90 per cent of the interest amount that would be deposited with its registry would be disbursed to the 39 buyers who have opted out.

The court while directing the builder to deposit the interest has kept the question of rate of interest and compensation to be paid open.