Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court stayed the registration of properties in Discovery City housing projects on Thursday over unpaid dues of Rs 75 crores.
The bench headed by chief justice Ujjal Bhuyan and justice N. Tukramji declared a stay on the projects constructed by Ramky Projects over the unpaid land costs.
The Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) had allotted land to the realtor in 2008, with the agreement signed on January 28, 2008.
According to the agreement, Ramky Group, Ramky Integrated Township Ltd, Ramky Infrastructure Ltd and Ramky Estates and Farms Ltd were to pay HMDA Rs 100 crore.
The projects were recently completed and put up for sale after considerable delays due to petitions filed by landowning farmers, which were to be acquired by the government.
However, homebuyers were unable to register their properties in Gardenia Grove Villas, Greenview Apartments, the Huddle and Golden Circle projects in Survey Nos. 227 and 230 of Srinagar village in Maheshwaram Mandal of Ranga Reddy district.
The commissioner and IG of the stamps and registration department had listed the survey numbers in the ‘prohibitory’ list after they were requested by the HMDA.
Homebuyers and the realtor approached the High Court following the case where it was revealed after a hearing that the realtor had paid only Rs 25 crore of the total to HMDA.
The HMDA submitted that even lay-out fees were not paid by the developers, who were trying to sell the properties without obtaining occupancy certificates.
The court in November 2022 had directed the Maheshwaram sub-registrar to register the sale deed documents and also asked HMDA to opt for alternative remedies to get their dues cleared.
The landowners Yatam Murali and Paluri Ravishankar approached the division bench and challenged the orders of the single judge.
Finally, the order was stayed by the division bench on January 12 which further declared to hear the case in detail on February 22.