Supertech twin-tower case: Noida Authority's planning manager suspended, SIT team set up

New Delhi: The Uttar Pradesh government has suspended a manager in the planning department of the Noida Authority in connection with the construction of two multi-storey towers that had come up in violation of building bye-laws, official sources said.

On the directives of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, a four-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) was formed under the chairmanship of Sanjiv Mittal, secretary of the Industrial and Infrastructure Development department, to probe the irregularities that transpired between 2004 and 2017 and ensure a time-bound probe.

Additional Chief Secretary Manoj Kumar Singh, Additional DGP Rajeev Sabarwal and Chief Town Planner Anoop Kumar Shrivastava are other three members of the SIT, Additional Chief Secretary (Information) Navneet Sehgal said.

The manager's shunting comes in the wake of a Supreme Court directive that ordered demolition of the twin-towers built by realty firm Supertech illegally in its Emerald Court housing project in Noida Sector 93A.

After the top court's rapping to the industrial development body under the Uttar Pradesh government, Adityanath had also ordered an inquiry into the matter on Wednesday and called for strict action against those guilty.

"Mukesh Goyal, manager in the planning department, was nominated to attend the Supreme Court hearings in the Emerald Court case. He regularly attended the court hearings but did not bring case updates and important facts to the notice of senior officers of the Noida Authority," official sources in Lucknow said.

"The planning manager has prima facie been found guilty of irregularities and irresponsibility in work. A departmental inquiry has already been initiated against him and he has been placed under immediate suspension with effect from September 1," the sources said.

Around a half a dozen other Noida Authority officials are also under scrutiny for their alleged role in the case, they added.

In its Tuesday order, the Supreme Court had directed that the towers be razed within three months for violation of building norms in "collusion? with district officials, holding that illegal construction has to be dealt with strictly to ensure compliance with the rule of law.

The case pertained to realty firm Supertech constructing two 40-storey towers illegally in its Emerald Court housing project premises with over 900 flats and 21 shops in the twin towers.

Residents of the housing project claimed their consent was not taken for the twin towers, which were being built in violation of norms, and moved court.

The Allahabad High Court had in 2014 ordered demolition of the twin towers with the Supreme Court upholding the verdict in 2021. Also Read: HDFC Life Insurance to buy Exide Life in a Rs 6,687 crore cash and stock deal

However, buyers who have invested their money in these towers hoped their interest would be protected, even as the Supertech Group said it would be filing a review petition in the case. Also Read: NASA's Perseverance rover successfully collects first rock from Mars