Delhi High Court has allowed the recovery of a prime property at ITO that was alloted forty years ago to a Think Tank founded by late Prime Minister Chandrashekhar.
The 2,000 sq yards plot in Central Delhi was being run as a political party office, the land and development office (L&DO) had alleged, while cancelling the allotment.
The High Court upheld L&DO’s move to evict centre of applied politics from the plot at IP Estate.
The Court found that the plot had illegal constructions including temporary barrack-like structures.
Taking into account L&DO’s charge that unauthorised construction was raised on the land, which is being used for the work of a political party, it pointed,“Two photographs indicate that a photograph of a former Prime Minister has been prominently displayed on the land in question, indicating that the premises are connected with the political party to which he belonged [Samajwadi Janta Party(R)].”
While the society claimed it had never received the cancellation notice nor allowed a chance to explain before the land owning agency, the court noted that the organisation “has failed to comply with the conditions of the agreement for lease.”
The society claimed it was granted land in 1971 to undertake and promote studies (both theoretical as well as practical) in various fields, including political process/administration and diplomacy and the same was being done continuously.
But when the bench asked if the society has any faculty engaged in academic exercise or further research or if it has published any paper or book of academic significance, the think tank claimed that carrying on work of a political party is the practical side to the object of doing basic research and training in politics and political processes.
The Court thus dismissed the petition filed by the Society and discharged the Think Tank’s claim on ITO plot.
The judgement has been delivered by Judge VIBHU BAKHRU on 30-07-2019.
