In Brief
A property developer (Ambience Developers) obtained a license in 1993 to build a residential housing project on 18.98 acres in Haryana. The company later converted 8 acres to commercial use (Ambience Mall), reducing the residential area to 10.98 acres. Apartment buyers sued in the High Court, claiming this violated land-use rules and statutory provisions. The High Court ruled in their favour, quashing the commercial approvals and ordering CBI investigation. The Supreme Court reversed this, holding that the approved housing layout plan always specified 10.98 acres, not the full 18.98 acres. The Court found the de-licensing and commercial conversion were legally permissible, upheld the authority's 2021 reasoned order, and clarified that the National Green Tribunal lacked jurisdiction over building-plan disputes already pending in the High Court.
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