New Delhi: In a significant development for Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha, the Delhi High Court has granted his plea to halt his eviction from a government-allotted bungalow. The court's decision provides much-needed relief for the politician, who was facing eviction following a trial court's earlier order.
Justice Anup J Bhambhani, in his ruling, directed that the earlier stay order issued by the trial court, which had directed the Rajya Sabha Secretariat to cease the eviction proceedings, would be reinstated and remain in effect until the trial court reaches a decision on Chadha's request for interim relief.
The dispute began when the trial court in the Patiala House complex decided to vacate its initial stay order in October. This move prompted Chadha to seek the intervention of the Delhi High Court to protect his rights.
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The Additional District Judge Sudhanshu Kaushik, who oversaw the case, argued that Chadha did not possess a vested right to continue occupying the bungalow, as it was merely a privilege granted to him as a Member of Parliament (MP).
The controversy surrounding the bungalow allotment dates back to September 2022 when Chadha was assigned a Type-VII accommodation bungalow on Pandara Road in Delhi. However, in March of the following year, he was informed that his allotment had been canceled on the grounds that Type-VII exceeded his entitlement, and he was offered a different flat.
Chadha promptly sought a permanent injunction to prevent the cancellation of his Pandara Road bungalow allotment. In response, the Patiala House Court granted him interim relief on April 18, temporarily blocking his eviction.
Unfortunately for Chadha, the relief order was lifted on October 5, following a request from the Rajya Sabha Secretariat for a review. They argued that the procedure outlined in Section 80(2) of the Civil Procedure Code (CPC) had not been adhered to when granting Chadha interim relief, as leave to institute the suit was not granted.
In light of the Delhi High Court's decision, Raghav Chadha can now breathe a sigh of relief as he awaits the trial court's final verdict regarding his plea for interim relief and the future of his government-allotted bungalow.
