SC agrees to hear pleas by Chintels residents

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear a petition filed by 188 residents of Gurugram’s Chintels Paradiso where six floors of a tower collapsed on February 10, causing two deaths and sparking fears among residents about the structural safety of the condominium’s other buildings.

A bench comprising justices KM Joseph and Hrishikesh Roy tagged the petition to a previous pending petition filed by a Class 11 student, the son of one of the victims who died in the incident.

Appearing for the residents, advocate Prashant Bhushan said, “It is an extraordinary case where the regulatory authorities have turned a blind eye to the irregularities. It can be heard along with the matter which is already pending in this court.”

The same bench had on February 28 issued notice on the petition filed by the Class 11 student, who demanded an independent probe into the incident, a structural audit of the construction material used in the building, and compensation from all officials concerned who “defrauded residents by granting occupancy certificates for the towers”, which were described by the petitioner as “death traps”.

On February 28, the Supreme Court had listed the Class 11 student’s petition for hearing after three weeks, but so far it has not come up for hearing yet. The Supreme Court website is tentatively showing the case as listed on May 9.

The present petition also stated that residents are “living in constant fear for their own safety” as there are cracks in the ceiling and balconies.