Gurugram Building Collapse: Supreme Court To Hear Resident's Plea Next Week

The Supreme Court will hear on November 21 a plea of residents of a Chintels Paradiso Society building, part of which collapsed killing two women in February, challenging the administration's valuation report of their flats, according to the petitioners.

The society's resident welfare association (RWA) on Monday said in the interim appeal, the residents have also sought a stay on the Gurugram deputy commissioner's (DC) order to the builder to negotiate with Tower-D homeowners issues such as compensation, or reconstruction or rebuilding flats for them, within 60 days.

"Lawyer Prashant Bhushan, appearing on behalf of the residents, filed the petition in this regard before the Supreme Court on Monday, and appealed for an immediate hearing. The hearing is fixed for November 21," the association's president Rakesh Hooda said.

The residents have also challenged the report of a special investigation team (SIT) constituted by the administration to probe the February incident.

Sandeep Kumar, one of the residents, said as there are "gross gaps and irregularities in the SIT report and valuation report shared by the DC office, we seek a stay order on the 60-day window for negotiation of Tower-D residents till either compensation or reconstruction option is finalised".

The residents in their plea also demanded reconstruction or rebuilding safe homes for them in the shortest possible time and alternative accommodation with rental compensation till their homes are handed back to them or compensation with an amount based on market value to buy a new home of similar size, specification and location.

On Monday, which was the third day of residents' protest on the issues, Hooda said their demonstration will continue till they get justice.  The magisterial inquiry into the Chintels Paradiso tower collapse found both the developer and the flat repairing contractor responsible for the incident.

Two women were killed after the dining room floor of a sixth-floor apartment of Tower-D in Sector 109 came down on February 10, triggering the collapse of roofs and floors directly under it, till the first floor. The 18-floor tower has 50 flats.
 

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