Gurugram: SC extends stay on order to vacate Chintels towers

The bench told Chintels that the issue needs to be resolved if the premises have been declared to be dangerous

The Supreme Court on Wednesday extended its interim protection against evacuation to residents of three towers in Gurugram’s Chintels Paradiso society, which have been declared structurally unsafe, and directed the developer to submit a plan addressing their concerns over safety and rehabilitation.

Chintels Paradiso condominium located at Sector 109 near Dwarka Expressway. (HT Archive)

A bench led by justice Abhay S Oka, also comprising justice Ujjal Bhuyan, was hearing petitions by 24 residents from Towers A, C and J — structures found unfit for habitation in an audit by the Central Building Research Institute (CBRI).

The bench told Chintels that the issue needs to be resolved if the premises have been declared to be dangerous. “If the premises are declared dangerous, then the issues raised by the residents must be resolved,” the court said.

Senior advocate ANS Nadkarni, appearing for developer Chintels India Ltd, told the court that in a previous matter concerning six other towers in the same project, the builder was appreciated by the top court for its handling of resident rehabilitation.

“You must tell us how you are going to resolve this issue,” the bench said, adjourning the matter to July 25.

Residents told the court that while they want to continue living in their homes, they have been served evacuation notices due to structural dangers. “They are asking us to pay ₹1,000 per square foot over and above the original purchase price. This is unacceptable,” the residents told the court.

They also alleged coercion by the builder, accusing Chintels of forcing them to sign redevelopment agreements that would allow the company to increase the number of units while denying original buyers additional space or shared amenities. “We are people who have invested our life savings and taken loans. We are now living in constant fear of a structural collapse,” their plea stated.

The Haryana government sought more time to file its response. The court agreed and said that until the next hearing, the interim stay issued on March 24 would continue. That order had paused a March 19 directive asking the residents to vacate their homes.

Towers A, C and J are part of a nine-tower complex in Sector 109 of Gurugram. Of these, six towers have already been declared unsafe following a fatal roof collapse in Tower D in February 2022, which killed two residents. Demolition of the unsafe structures is currently underway.

The petitioners also invoked their fundamental right to life under Article 21 of the Constitution, stating that the Supreme Court had, in January 2024, ordered Chintels to reconstruct demolished towers. Eleven months later, no construction has begun, the petition said.