NEW DELHI: Observing that he is an “unauthorized occupant”, a Delhi court has asked Punjab chief minister Captain Amrinder Singh to vacate the government bungalow at Janpath that was allotted to him when he was member of Parliament (MP).
District and sessions judge Poonam A Bamba observed that Singh’s authority to occupy the bungalow had ended six months ago. “The appellant’s contention that he could not have been termed as unauthorised occupant as his initial allotment was valid till 2019 and that he has been paying market rent, is also untenable. Thus, it is evident that the appellant is in unauthorised occupation of the said premises since December 23, 2016,” the court pointed out.
The Congress leader had challenged the order passed by the estate officer (EO) asking him to vacate the bungalow.
Singh was allotted the bungalow while he was Amritsar MP. Though his term was supposed to end in 2019, Singh resigned from Lok Sabha on November 23, 2016. The EO, by a letter dated February 8, 2017, cancelled the allotment with effect from December 23, 2016 and asked Singh to hand over the physical possession of the premises to the Central Public Works Department.
The Congress leader chose to make a representation on February 10, 2017 before the chairman of Lok Sabha House Committee, requesting he be allowed to retain the bungalow. He reasoned that he was a heart patient, suffering from high blood pressure and sugar, besides being under Z-Plus security as he was under constant threat. On February 14, 2017 he received a notice asking him to explain by February 23 why he should not be evicted. Singh’s lawyer made a representation before the officer on March 8 and on March 24, but the EO passed the eviction order against Singh.
The senior leader’s contention before the court was that without considering his side of arguments, the EO had passed an “arbitrary” eviction order. It was also asserted that the matter was pending before the House Committee, a higher authority, and this fact was not noted by the EO.
