हिंदी

Delhi HC Declines PIL Against CM Atishi For Allowing Manish Sisodia To Use Her Govt Bungalow

Delhi elections

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday dismissed a Public Interest Litigation that sought action against Chief Minister Atishi for permitting former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and his family members to continue residing in a government-allotted bungalow.

The petition was filed by Sanjeev Jain, a self-identified social worker and RTI activist.

A division bench, comprising Acting Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela, rejected the PIL, stating that if any rules were violated, the relevant authorities had the power to take appropriate action.

The bench observed, “We do not consider it apposite to pass any orders in the petition. If any rules are violated, the concerned authorities are fully competent to take action as and when required. Dismissed.”

The PIL concerned the government bungalow initially allotted to Sisodia, which was later reassigned to Atishi in March 2023 after Sisodia’s arrest in connection with the liquor policy case. The petitioner argued that although Sisodia had been jailed in March 2023, his family continued to occupy the bungalow even after he resigned from his post.

The plea further contended that Atishi, who was residing in Jangpura, New Delhi, did not object to Sisodia’s family continuing to stay in the bungalow, despite it being officially reallocated to her. “It is also very surprising that when the above-mentioned bungalow was allotted to Ms. Atishi Merlena in March 2023, she never raised any objection to Mr. Manish Sisodia’s family residing in the said bungalow,” the petition stated.

The petitioner accused the Chief Minister of facilitating what he described as a “clear-cut misuse of government property.” He claimed that the action violated established rules governing the allotment and vacation of government properties.

Furthermore, the PIL alleged that Atishi’s actions were politically motivated. The petition suggested that Atishi might have extended this benefit to Sisodia to gain favor within the political party, asserting that such practices could not be justified for personal gain or to display political loyalty at the expense of public resources.

“It might be that Smt. Atishi has extended gainful benefit to Mr. Manish Sisodia for getting a higher rank in her political party and for gaining more trust from Mr. Sisodia, who is considered a mentor in her political career,” the plea argued.

Despite the allegations, the court ruled that no immediate action was required from its end, leaving the decision on any possible violations to the concerned authorities.

Read More: Supreme CourtDelhi High CourtStates High CourtInternational

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About the Author: Meera Verma

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