Raghav Chadha gets Delhi HC reprieve, allowed to retain Pandara Road bungalow

NEW DELHI:  The Delhi High Court on Tuesday halted a trial court order asking AAP leader Raghav Chadha to vacate his Type-VII government bungalow after its cancellation of allotment. Chadha approached the HC with his appeal against the trial court order, which held that he has no “vested right to continue to occupy” the bungalow allotted at Pandara Road as official accommodation in his capacity as a Member of the Rajya Sabha after its cancellation.

It was stated in the appeal that there is no dispute that the appellant continues to be a Member of the Rajya Sabha, though, for certain reasons which have no concern with the present matter, he is currently under suspension from the House.

In the order, Justice Anup Jairam Bhambhani observed that the Rajya Sabha Secretariat is a distinct institution from the “Government” and therefore, Section 80 of the Civil Procedure Code (CPC) has no application to Chadha’s suit while directing the appellant to represent the plaint before the trial court within three days.

The AAP leader took physical possession of the bungalow on November 9 last year and has been residing there along with his parents and his sister. The House Committee of the Rajya Sabha had ratified the allotment of the accommodation on November 24 last year.                  (feature photo credits-Filmfare.com)