The Supreme Court today directed Tihar Jail authorities to grant adequate meeting time to their inmate Sanjay Chandra, Managing Director Unitech Ltd, for allowing him to strike deals with prospective buyers.
Chandra, head of the embattled real estate group, was recently asked by the apex court to deposit Rs 750 crore with it by December end to safeguard the interests of homebuyers.
A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud considered the submission of senior advocate Ranjit Kumar that Chandra gets 30 minutes meeting time in jail to deal with prospective buyers and for arranging money.
The apex court had on October 30 said that the jailed businessman will be granted bail only after the real estate group deposits money with its registry by December end.
Today, the senior lawyer said that Chandra has been required to be produced in various courts, consumer forum and commissions on a regular basis which hampered his endeavour to arrange money and hence, the production warrants issued against him by various judicial bodies be stayed for 15 days.
He also said that the accused be allowed to appear in courts through his lawyers. The plea was declined.
The apex court, however, clarified that its earlier order directing all courts below not to take any coercive action against the accused for the time being would also be made applicable on all forums including state and national consumer commissions.
The top court had earlier directed the jail authorities to facilitate Chandra's meeting with his company officials and lawyers so that he could arrange money to refund the home buyers as well as for completing the ongoing housing projects.
It had said if any proceedings were pending against Chandra and the company, those may continue and the final order be passed but no coercive steps would be taken for executing those orders.
Chandra is seeking interim bail from the apex court after the Delhi High Court on August 11 had rejected the plea in a criminal case lodged in 2015 by 158 home buyers of Unitech projects' -- 'Wild Flower Country' and 'Anthea Project' -- situated in Gurugram.
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