Probe team likely to submit report on Noida authority officials today

NOIDA: The Uttar Pradesh government-appointed special investigation team (SIT) to probe the involvement of Noida authority officials in the Supertech Emerald Court case has completed collecting data from the authority for its report, said officials aware of the development.

The four-member team, headed by IAS officer and Noida authority chairperson Sanjiv Mittal, visited Emerald Court’s 40-storey twin towers — Apex and Ceyane — in Noida’s Sector 93A that are expected to be demolished following a Supreme Court order on September 2. The other members of the team are additional general (police) Rajeev Sabharwal, additional chief secretary Manoj Singh and Uttar Pradesh chief town and rural planner Anup Kumar.

“The SIT and top officials from the Noida authority took note of the distance between the two towers,” said a Noida authority official, requesting anonymity. “The SIT is likely to submit its report to the state government on Friday.”

The matter was first taken to the Allahabad high court in 2012 by the Emerald Court residents welfare association (RWA) claiming that several rules were violated to construct the twin towers. In 2014, the high court ordered the towers razed, observing that they stood too close to each other. The Noida authority appealed the verdict claiming that no norm was violated.

The Supreme Court confirmed the demolition and criticised the Noida authority for approving the project plans for it. The court said the demolition should happen within three months, and Supertech would have to pay for it. Every flat owner in the two towers will be refunded at a rate of 12% calculated from the time of deposit, it ruled. The court told the Noida authority to take stern action against officials involved.