Supreme Court asks two NCDRC members to explain why warrants were issued contrary to top court's order

The Supreme Court on Monday asked two members of the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) to explain why they issued non-bailable warrants against the directors of a realty company, despite an interim order by the top court to not take any coercive action in the matter [Ireo Grace Realtech Pvt Ltd vs Sanjay Gopinath]..A Bench of Justices Hima Kohli and Ahsanuddin Amanullah has issued a show-cause notice in the matter to the presiding member and member of the NCDRC Bench concerned. "It is deemed appropriate to issue notice to the Presiding Member and the Member of the NCDRC, calling upon them to explain how the order was passed on 02nd April, 2024. Reply to the notice to show cause shall be filed within one week. A copy of this order shall be dispatched to the NCDRC forthwith," the Supreme Court's order stated. .The matter will be heard next by the Supreme Court on April 24..The order in question was passed by NCDRC members, Subhash Chandra (presiding member) and Dr. Sadhna Shanker. The case before the NCDRC concerned complaints by homebuyers who were aggrieved by the failure/ delay in handing over possession of flats in Gurugram's 'The Corridor' housing project. .Execution proceedings were initiated by various homebuyers before the NCDRC against the project developer, Ireo Grace, after the homebuyers secured orders awarding them compensation by the national consumer forum. The project developer then approached the Supreme Court challenging such award of compensation by way of civil appeals. On March 1, the Supreme Court gave interim protection to Ireo Grace while issuing notice on the civil appeals filed by the developer. By this interim order, the Court restrained the NCDRC from taking any coercive steps against Ireo Grace. .However, in one of the several execution proceedings initiated by homebuyers, a two-member Bench of the NCDRC passed an order on April 2, 2024, issuing non-bailable warrants against the directors of Ireo Grace after the company failed to file certain compliance affidavits. .The counsel for the developer told the Supreme Court that this order was passed in the teeth of the top court's March 1 order which had granted Ireo Grace interim protection. .The Supreme Court, therefore, issued a show-cause notice to the two NCDRC members and stayed the April 2 order until further orders..Senior Advocate Ranjit Kumar with advocates Abhimanyu Bhandari, Rooh-e-hina Dua, Dhanakshi Gandhi, and Ruchi appeared for Ireo Grace.Advocates Deepak Kumar Khushlani, Santosh Kumar Pandey, Chritarth Palli, Abhay Kumar, and Shagun Ruhil appeared for the legal hears of a now-deceased homebuyer..[Read order]