Flat owners of the Adarsh Housing Society have said they will move the Supreme Court, challenging the Bombay High Court’s “harsh” order to demolish the corruption-tainted building. The high court on Friday had granted a stay of 12 weeks on the demolition order, which also directed that action be taken against the bureaucrats and politicians who allowed the construction of the residential tower. Society members will approach the apex court after they receive a detailed copy of the order, The Indian Express reported.

Chief promoter and secretary of the society RC Thakur said the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority had issued all required clearances to construct the building as well as occupancy certificates to society members. “The society has 60% members belonging to the army, who bought the flats with their hard-earned money, many through their pension fund. How are they at fault?” Thakur, a retired defence estates officer who was chargesheeted by the Central Bureau of Investigation as one of the 13 accused in the case, questioned. He further said that those purportedly “given membership erroneously” can be expelled and that the building was not constructed on land that was encroached upon.

The 31-storey residential tower in the upscale Colaba locality was meant for army veterans and war widows, but the plush flats were given to several top politicians, bureaucrats and their families. A judicial committee set up to investigate the scam found that at least 25 of the houses went to ineligible people and 22 were sold under proxy names. When the scandal broke in 2010, Congress leader and then Chief Minister Ashok Chavan was forced to resign, as it came to light that three of his relatives were alloted homes in the building. In February, Maharashtra Governor Chennamaneni Vidyasagar Rao allowed the CBI to prosecute Chavan in the case.