The Supreme Court on Monday allowed the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) time till June 15, 2024 to vacate its offices from a property at Rouse Avenue allotted to the Delhi High Court for expanding judicial infrastructure.
“In view of the impending general elections, we grant time till June 15, 2024 to vacate the premises so that land allotted to expand the district judiciary’s footprint can be utilised on an expeditious basis,” a Bench headed by Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud observed.
The court asked the AAP to approach the Land and Development Office for allotment of land for its offices.
“We would request the L&DO to process the application and communicate its decision within a period of four weeks,” the Bench said.
The Aam Aadmi Party had contended in the Supreme Court that its lawful occupation of the property was wrongly labelled as an “encroachment” of land allotted for the Delhi High Court.
The ruling party in Delhi and Punjab had come under the spotlight after the Supreme Court, on February 13, recorded in an order that the party was illegally occupying the land earmarked for the High Court six years ago to construct court rooms.
“Far from being an instance of ‘encroachment’, the premises were officially allotted to the applicant [AAP] by the Government of NCT of Delhi on December 31, 2015 for its State unit office,” the AAP, represented by senior advocate A.M. Singhvi, had argued.
The party said it understood the need for judicial infrastructure for the welfare of Delhi’s citizens and had no cavil about relocating its State unit office to an appropriate space. However, the application said an immediate vacation would mean that the party would be left with none of the two office spaces it is entitled to.
“This will severely prejudice the party as well as fairness of the electoral process, given the impending General Elections and the fact that the other five national parties are operating out of their allotted offices in New Delhi,” the AAP had submitted in court.
