Unitech case: SC asks Tihar jail authorities to withdraw special facilities to Chandra brothers

The Supreme Court on Thursday withdrew the special facilities given to the promoters of beleaguered Unitech Limited -- Sanjay Chandra and Ajay Chandra, who are currently lodged in Tihar jail for not handing over the possession of flats to buyers despite money being paid to the company.

A division bench of Justices D Y Chandrachud and Hemant Gupta, while posting the matter for hearing to July 5, directed the jail authorities to treat the accused Chandra brothers as ordinary prisoners.

As per the jail manual and rules, they were provided room cooler and other facilities.

The bench passed the order after the court-appointed forensic auditors submitted that the Unitech group and its officials were not furnishing any digital records to them for ascertaining how much of homebuyers' money was diverted to other subsidiary companies.

In the last hearing on February 15, the court had pulled up Unitech for not providing data to the forensic auditors examining alleged financial irregularities.

However, the court had allowed Unitech to sell the 24-acre land parcel in Hyderabad for Rs 24 crore and also released Rs 40 crore for the completion of pending projects.

On January 19, the apex court had directed a forensic audit of Unitech and its subsidiary companies to probe alleged financial irregularities and diversion of home-buyers' funds by its promoters and directors.

Unitech Group is involved in the construction of 74 housing projects for which around 17,000 home buyers have made investments.

Due to the financial crisis, the Group has not been able to complete the projects, leaving buyers in the lurch.Its managing director Sanjay Chandra and his brother Ajay Chandra have been in jail since April last year after being arrested by Delhi Police for not handing over possession of flats to buyers despite money being paid to the company.