Ex-Delhi top cop vacates house for LS Dy Speaker

Who would have imagined that a transition from being the Delhi Police Commissioner to an MP involves losing status in the Capital’s VIP parlance? Certainly, not Nikhil Kumar. The former Delhi Police Commissioner, and now a Congress MP from Bihar, is finding this out the hard way.

Kumar had been staying in a swank Lutyen’s bungalow for the last three decades. But now, he has been asked to vacate the 24, Akbar Road house by Urban Development Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad after a demand from the new Deputy Speaker of Lok Sabha, A.S. Atwal. ‘‘Atwalsaab identified the house. He holds a senior position in Parliament, we had to allot it to him,’’ an aide of the Urban Development Minister said.

Azad, also the Parliamentary Affairs Minister, had little option but to act tough with his own party colleague. ‘‘Kumar was served a notice two years ago. He was retaining the bungalow in his capacity as Delhi Police Commissioner. But as an MP, he was not entitled to a Type-VIII (highest category) bungalow from the general pool,’’ officials said. Kumar has been given an accommodation on Pandara Road from the Lok Sabha pool. ‘‘As far as we know, the house is vacant. We could not keep the Deputy Speaker waiting,’’ officials said.

But Kumar preferred to move to his own house in Maharani Bagh, instead of moving to a lower-category apartment. Kumar was not available for comment.