‘How can there be a party office?’: CJI Chandrachud irked at ‘encroachment’ on land allotted to Delhi HC

A three-judge bench presided by Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud was hearing a matter related to judicial infrastructure

Making the court’s displeasure evident, the CJI asked, “What is this? We are not asking for judges’ bungalows. We are asking for public amenities." (Express file photo)

The Supreme Court on Tuesday expressed strong displeasure over a political party office encroaching on land allotted to the Delhi High Court. Stating that it “has to come to an end”, the court directed urgent steps to return the land to the High Court.

A three-judge bench, presided by Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud and comprising Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, was hearing a matter related to judicial infrastructure, when it was told by amicus curiae senior advocate K Parameshwar that High Court officials, who went to take possession of the land, could not do so as the “a political party office was built there”.

Not naming the political party, Parameshwar told the bench, “I do not want to politicise the matter… we could not take possession.” It, however, became evident later that the reference was to the “Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) office in Rouse Avenue”.

Visibly annoyed, the CJI asked, “How can there be a party office? You can’t take the law into your own hands!”

Bharat Parashar, principal secretary in the Delhi government’s law department, told the court that “the political party” was alloted the land in 2016 through a cabinet resolution. He also said that they have taken up the matter with the Land and Development Office (L&DO), which “is in the process of handing over that portion of the land (to the High Court) and… allotting another portion of the land to the political party”.

Parashar said that prior to 2016, a bungalow occupied by a minister stood on the land, and the building was later converted into a political party office. He added that the High Court had made the necessary payments to the L&DO.

The CJI then asked, “What is this? We are not asking for judges’ bungalows. We are asking for public amenities. And a political party sitting tight on that! Why did you allot it to the High Court then?”. The CJI told the parties, “You better find out and tell us when you are giving unencumbered possession to the High Court… This has to come to an end. The High Court is going to use it for residents of Delhi… to resolve their disputes in the court complex”.

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Scheduling the matter for next hearing on February 19, the Court in its order directed the Delhi Chief Secretary, Secretary In-Charge of Public Works Department (PWD), and Finance Secretary to convene a meeting with the Registrar General of the High Court to sort out all outstanding issues.

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