SC directs sealing of 9 properties of Amrapali group

The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed for sealing of nine properties of real estate major Amrapali group in order to enable the forensic auditors to access and examine the documents of its 46 companies.

The Apex court said the police custody of three company directors – Anil Kumar Sharma, Shiv Priya and Ajay Kumar – would not be insisted upon, if the process of sealing was completed by Wednesday. If not, the three would remain in police station, not in the lock-up, it said.

A bench of Justices U U Lalit and D Y Chandrachud passed orders for sealing of the properties – seven at Noida and Greater Noida and two at Nalanda and Buxar – after the company directors who were taken into police custody on Tuesday– contended all the necessary documents were kept at only those places.

The court sought an undertaking that all the documents pertaining to 46 companies from 2007 to 2018 would be handed over by Thursday.

“The sealed premises can be visited only by the forensic auditors or by other persons under their express authorization. No other person shall be allowed entry into the said premises,” the court directed.

The court put the matter for further consideration on Thursday.

On Tuesday, the court ordered that three directors would remain in police custody till the time they released documents of 46 companies to forensic auditors.

“We prima facie record the finding that our order has been violated and course of justice is being thwarted,” the court had said, expressing its strong displeasure.

The court said the company directors cannot play hide-and-seek, having noted that its order of September 12 and 26 for handing over documents of books, original documents to the forensic auditors have not been complied with without any explanation.

The real estate major has faced troubled time as it was alleged that the company could not complete its projects putting the home buryers' in jeopardy. The court also issued contempt notice against them.