The Noida Authority requests Rs 235 crore from DLF for the Mall of India building land.
NOIDA: The Noida Authority has asked DLF India to pay up Rs 235 crore after it lost a legal battle for compensation to a man who had bought two plots of land, which were eventually allotted to the developer and are part of the area where the Mall of India now stands.
The notice to DLF, confirmed by the Noida Authority CEO Ritu Maheshwari, appears to be an attempt to recover the amount that the Authority was ordered to pay to the man by the Supreme Court earlier this year. Following this order, the Authority released Rs 295 crore to the man last week.
Officials said on Monday that they were advised by their legal counsel that the compensation amount can be recovered from the developer, after which the notice was sent to DLF on December 23. The developer was given 15 days to deposit the amount, they added.
When asked, a DLF spokesperson said on Monday that it has not received any notice till now.
The dispute dates back to 1997, when Reddy Veerana bought two plots over 7,400sqm in Chhalera Bangar village for Rs 1 crore.
Veerana has alleged that Authority officials started troubling him over possession of land, prompting him to file a civil suit before a local court and seek a permanent injunction against the Authority.
According to the Authority, the land in question was planned for commercial development, and possession by Veerana was illegal.
In 2003, the Authority floated a tender for land that included the two plots. It was allotted to DLF the year after, with the developer constructing Mall of India on that land.
In 2006, the Authority issued a notification to officially acquire and take possession of the land Veerana challenged the Authority’s notification before the courts and in 2021, the Allahabad high court asked the Authority to pay compensation to him.
The Noida Authority challenged the high court’s ruling before the Supreme Court, which – in May this year – issued a similar order, directing that Veerana should get compensation at a rate of Rs 1.1 lakh per sqm, besides 30% solatium, 15% statutory interest on the amount of compensation and 3% penal interest.
The Authority subsequently filed a review petition, which was dismissed by the Supreme Court on August 10.