HC to hear Raghav Chadha’s plea on Dec 19

NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court will hear AAP MP Raghav Chadha’s plea on December 19, seeking to restrain authorities from taking action over the cancellation of his official bungalow allotment.

On Wednesday, a bench of Justices Yashwant Varma and Dharmesh Sharma allowed Chadha’s counsel to amend the prayer clause in his petition challenging a trial court order vacating the stay on his eviction. The high court listed the matter for hearing after Senior Advocate Abhishek Singhvi, appearing for Chadha, assured the court that the amendment would be filed.

The Rajya Sabha Secretariat cancelled the allotment of Chadha’s type-7 bungalow in March 2023, citing his entitlement as a first-time MP to type-5 accommodation. Chadha was initially allotted a type-6 bungalow at Pandara Park in July 2022 but was later granted a type-7 accommodation at Pandara Road after a representation.

A trial court dismissed Chadha’s interim injunction plea on November 26, stating there was no legal basis for retaining the bungalow. During Wednesday’s hearing, the high court questioned the urgency in vacating interim protection against eviction and directed Chadha to challenge the trial court’s order for further relief. The case underscores the application of housing rules for MPs and the scope of judicial intervention in such matters.