How A Group of Senior Citizens Led To Demolition Of Noida’s Twin Towers

The 32-story Supertech twin buildings in Noida, which were taller than the Qutub Minar, came tumbling down on Sunday at 2:30 pm after considerable anticipation and a nine-year court fight.

Ceyanne (29 floors) and Apex (32 floors), two towers that are a part of Supertech Ltd.’s Emerald Court project, were determined to be in breach of several building standards and were consequently destroyed.

But did you know that a group of mostly elderly people’s tenacious pursuit of justice led to the demolition of these two skyscrapers, Apex and Ceyanne?

Yes, you read that right! These men pursued justice despite obstacles including their advanced age, extensive travel, and few resources.

GONE IN 9 SECONDS! Biggest demolition in India. #SupertechTwinTowers pic.twitter.com/LrkwwZmfcx

— roobina mongia (@roobinam) August 28, 2022

How the fight against demolition of twin towers started

The conflict started in 2009 when four locals complained that Supertech had broken construction regulations by constructing the twin buildings. Uday Bhan Singh Teotia (age 80), S K Sharma (age 74), Ravi Bajaj (age 65), and M K Jain made up the core group (59).

The society had 660 flats spread out over 15 storeys when residents first began to arrive. The formation of Apartment Owners Association (AOA) was largely composed of older residents.

Residents felt duped right away since the builders didn’t provide what they had promised. They would enjoy a lavish lifestyle surrounded by 82% open space, as Supertech had promised.

While talking with Hindustan Times, Uday Bhan Singh Teotia, AOA president of Emerald Court, said,

“We were sold the promise of living like royalty, but when we moved into the society in 2009, we realised we had not been given even half the amenities that we had paid for. Most of the brochure was a bunch of lies. Even the construction material used in the buildings was of much lower quality than was originally promised.”

A deal-breaker for the locals came in 2010 when the state of the society during the monsoons becomes worse.

Some folks had to use boats to get into their automobiles as a result of the water-filled basements.

A retail centre and a garden were supposed to be built there, but soon after, in 2010, the builder began excavating more land. Then, they learned that the developer intended to erect Apex and Ceyanne, two brand-new 40-floor skyscrapers, nearby.

Former AOA member Rajesh Rana, who resides in Aster-2, told to Hindustan Times,

“I initially thought that the builder was being generous and giving us an additional swimming pool. I had a beautiful view from my balcony all the way up to the expressway. Way back in 2009, I paid an additional Rs 70,000 for this view. Having 40 floors blocking that view was beyond my imagination.”

They contacted the authorities in Noida, the builders, and the police, but received no meaningful reply.

December 2012 marks the start of the official fight against builders

In December 2012, they went to the Allahabad High Court and started their official fight for justice.

The majority of people who live in Emerald Court are former government employees. Other individuals who were active besides the four named were Vashisht Sharma (60), Rajpal Tandon (85), and Gaurav Devnath (50). They took third-class trains to the Allahabad High Court sessions, according to Teotia, a former DIG of the CRPF.

Supertech had already built 13 stories by this point. The towers were to be demolished once the top court issued a ruling in favour of the organisation two years later. In addition, the court criticized the Noida Authority and ordered the builder to compensate the purchasers.

The role of Supreme Court

The Supreme Court heard an appeal from Supertech and Noida Authority over the HC decision. The Supreme Court held more than 30 sessions throughout the seven-year legal struggle.

The cost of the legal defence came to approximately Rs 1 crore. The project was led and funds were raised by MK Jain, who passed away in 2021 due to COVID. They banged on each apartment’s door. They also had to collect money for another round after this—each apartment owner spent between Rs. 17,000 and 20,000.

The Supreme Court affirmed the High Court’s 2014 ruling in August of 2021. The Noida authority officials, according to the court, reeked of corruption.

Before and After#Noidatwintowersdemolition #SupertechTwinTowers #GroundZero pic.twitter.com/zpf5KTx2um

— Niranjan kumar (@niranjan2428) August 28, 2022

Sometimes, demolishing something in full public view is important. It strikes at the very arrogance, corruption and sense of entitlement which built that structure in the first place. #SupertechTwinTowers pic.twitter.com/PnfdsQwJ6k

— Abhijit Majumder (@abhijitmajumder) August 28, 2022

The Supreme Court ordered that the whole sum paid by home buyers be reimbursed, plus 12% interest. Additionally, they mandated that the Emerald Court RWA be compensated with Rs 2 crores. On Sunday, a nine-year court fight for this group of older folks came to a conclusion.

Uday Bhan Singh Teotia said,

“We were sold the promise of living like royalty, but when we moved into the society in 2009, we realised we had not been given even half the amenities that we had paid for. Most of the brochure was a bunch of lies. Even the construction material used in the buildings was of much lower quality than was originally promised”