The Delhi High Court has scheduled a hearing for December 19 on AAP MP Raghav Chadha’s petition seeking to halt actions stemming from the cancellation of his official bungalow allotment.
During Wednesday’s proceedings, a bench of Justices Yashwant Varma and Dharmesh Sharma permitted Chadha’s legal team to amend the prayer clause in the petition. The petition challenges a trial court’s decision to vacate an earlier stay on Chadha’s eviction.
Senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, representing Chadha, urged the court to grant an interim stay on the eviction. However, the court pointed out that such relief could not be granted without formally challenging the trial court’s order. Singhvi assured the court that the amendment would be submitted before the next hearing.
Chadha’s petition also seeks a nuanced interpretation of Rule 212 under the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Council of States, which governs accommodations for MPs.
The Rajya Sabha Secretariat canceled Chadha’s bungalow allotment on March 3, 2023. Although the High Court initially reinstated an interim stay against his eviction, the trial court later vacated this relief.
Expressing concern over the urgency to remove the interim protection, the High Court questioned the Rajya Sabha Secretariat’s legal counsel. “When a suit is filed regarding a threat of eviction, there is usually an injunction that operates. What was the imperative to vacate it in this case?” the court asked.
In November, the trial court dismissed Chadha’s request for interim relief, stating there was no legal justification for him to retain the bungalow.
Chadha, a first-time MP, was initially allotted a “Type-6” accommodation at Pandara Park in July 2022. However, he later requested a “Type-7” bungalow, citing personal requirements. Following his request, he was allotted a “Type-7” bungalow at Pandara Road from the Rajya Sabha pool. In March 2023, this allotment was canceled.
As per the Rajya Sabha Members Handbook (April 2022), first-term MPs are typically entitled to “Type-5” accommodations. “Type-7” bungalows are designated for MPs who are former union cabinet ministers, governors, chief ministers, or Lok Sabha speakers.
The High Court, while deliberating on Chadha’s petition, previously directed the trial court to first consider his plea for interim relief. The ongoing legal dispute centers on whether the cancellation of the allotment was procedurally and legally justified, with the next hearing poised to address the matter further.
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