Ajit Singh fined Rs 5 lakh for overstaying at 12, Tughlaq Rd

Youth Affairs Minister Sarbananda Sonowal expected to move in after repairs.

12, Tughlaq Road after Ajit Singh vacated it. ( Source: Express photo by Anil Sharma )

Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) chief and former Union minister Ajit Singh will have to pay over Rs 5 lakh in fine for overstaying at his 12, Tughlaq Road residence in Central Delhi.

Singh, who vacated the Type-VIII bungalow on Friday, overstayed at the house for three months despite being asked by the Centre to pack up.

After Singh vacated the address, the plaque bearing his name and security has been removed.

An official in the Union Urban Development Ministry said Singh would be fined 55 times the government rent — which is Rs 3,500 — for the bungalow. The fine amounts to Rs 5,77,500 for three months. “The penalty will be recovered from him in due course,” a ministry official said.

Earlier, Singh had demanded that the house be turned into a memorial to his father, former Prime Minister Choudhary Charan Singh, who used to live there.

Singh stayed at the bungalow for over 36 years, first occupying it when his father was appointed a Union minster.

The Urban Development Ministry said so far, it had received no formal request from Singh to convert the house into a memorial.

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On September 9, power and water supply to the official residences of Singh and other former MPs were disconnected by the New Delhi Municipal Council for overstaying despite being asked by the Centre to leave.

Following Singh’s exit, repair work has started at the bungalow, where Youth Affairs Minister Sarbananda Sonowal is expected to move in. The minister is staying at a guesthouse in Green Park. Sources close to Sonowal said the minister had difficulty operating from the guesthouse as it is “cramped”.

Repairs at the bungalow are expected to take up to 15 days. This includes repairing broken parts of the boundary wall, replacing tiles in the bungalow and servants’ quarters as well as the driveway.

Last week, parts of Central Delhi were locked down after hundreds of farmers from Haryana and Uttar Pradesh tried to reach 12, Tughlaq Road, to protest against the Central government’s eviction order.

Naveed Iqbal

Naveed Iqbal is a Senior Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, and reports from Jammu and Kashmir. With a career spanning over 15 years in frontline journalism, Naveed provides authoritative reporting on the region’s transition, governance, and the socio-political implications of national policies. Expertise Regional Specialization: Based in the Srinagar and New Delhi bureaus, Naveed has spent over a decade documenting the unique challenges of Jammu and Kashmir. Her reporting is distinguished by deep contextual knowledge of the region's post-Article 370, statehood debates, and local electoral politics. Key Coverage Beats: Her extensive body of work covers: Politics & Governance: Tracking the National Conference (NC), PDP, and BJP dynamics, including in-depth coverage of J&K’s first Assembly sessions and Rajya Sabha polls following the reorganization of the state. Internal Security & Justice: Providing rigorous reporting on counter-insurgency operations, terror module investigations, and judicial developments involving political detainees and constitutional rights. Education & Minority Affairs: Highlighting systemic issues such as quota rows in J&K, public service commission reforms, and the challenges faced by minority communities. ... Read More

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