The Delhi High Court will hear AAP MP Raghav Chadha’s plea on December 19, where he seeks to halt any action related to the cancellation of his official bungalow allotment.
During a hearing on Wednesday, a bench comprising Justices Yashwant Varma and Dharmesh Sharma permitted Chadha’s legal team to amend the prayer clause in his petition. This petition challenges a recent trial court order that vacated the stay on his eviction.
Senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, representing Chadha, urged the court to grant an interim stay on the eviction.
However, the court observed that such relief could not be granted unless the trial court’s order was directly challenged. Singhvi assured the bench that the necessary amendments would be submitted before the next hearing.
Chadha has also requested the court to reinterpret Rule 212 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Council of States.
The controversy stems from the Rajya Sabha Secretariat’s decision to cancel Chadha’s bungalow allotment on March 3, 2023. Although Chadha initially received relief when the High Court reinstated a trial court’s stay on his eviction, the trial court later lifted this protection.
The High Court, during Wednesday’s proceedings, questioned the urgency shown in vacating the interim relief. “When there is a threat of eviction, an interim protection is generally in place. What was the pressing need to vacate it?” the bench asked the Rajya Sabha Secretariat’s counsel.
Chadha originally received a “Type-6” bungalow at Pandara Park in July 2022 but later requested a larger “Type-7” accommodation. Subsequently, he was allotted a bungalow from the Rajya Sabha pool at Pandara Road. In March 2023, this allotment was revoked.
On November 26, the trial court rejected Chadha’s plea for interim relief, stating there was no legal justification for him to retain the accommodation.
According to the Rajya Sabha Members Handbook (April 2022), a first-time MP is typically entitled to a “Type-5” bungalow. The “Type-7” category is reserved for specific individuals, including former union cabinet ministers, governors, chief ministers, or Lok Sabha speakers.
The matter will now be heard by the High Court, which will decide the fate of Chadha’s petition challenging the eviction and cancellation of his bungalow allotment.
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