The Delhi High Court today rejected Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury’s request to continue residing in his bungalow at New Moti Bagh here till alternate accommodation alloted to him got ready, saying he will have to “vacate” the property forthwith.
A bench of Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice Jayant Nath also turned down the MP’s oral prayer made through his counsel for alternate arrangements for the interim, saying the new residence alloted to him at Humayun Road in Lutyen’s Delhi will take another 10-15 days to get ready for use.
“I do not know where you will go. We are not inclined to entertain this petition,” Chief Justice G Rohini said.
The court’s response came after Chowdhury’s lawyer, Vivek Narayan Sharma who had raised the matter in the morning, again mentioned it after lunch hour requesting that he be allowed to stay there till the time the new accommodation was ready.
When Sharma said the new premises do not have electricity or water facility, the bench said “Sorry, the same request you made in the morning also.”
Earlier in the day, the same bench had refused to stay the eviction of the Congress MP, while upholding the single- judge bench order of February 1, and said that as the MP was “not entitled for any relief”, his appeal is “dismissed”.
Chowdhury, a Lok Sabha member, had moved the court against the February 1 order dismissing his plea against the eviction, following which the authorities concerned had disconnected water and power supply to his bungalow at 14, New Moti Bagh here, even as they started eviction proceedings against him.
Thereafter Chowdhury rushed to court, which yesterday had directed that status quo be maintained with regard to the eviction till this morning.
According to the Directorate of Estates, the MP has been allotted another house on Humayun Road and given sufficient time to vacate the ministerial bungalow which, it said, he was not entitled to. But Chowdhury did not vacate despite several reminders in the past, it has alleged.
Chowdhury had contended that it was nothing but “political vendetta against the opposition by the government.”
Additional Solicitor General Sanjay Jain, who appeared on behalf of the Directorate of Estates, had told the court that the government was trying to accommodate the MP but he was not satisfied with the housing options being given to him.
The MP’s counsel had submitted that there was a security threat to the MP as well as his family at the new premises.
Defending the eviction move, Urban Development Ministry had said that Chowdhury was offered three Type VI bungalows after cancellation of Type VIII bungalow at New Moti Bagh but he refused.
( Source – PTI )
