New Delhi, 14 May (H.S.): The Delhi High Court, while hearing Congress party's demand for the registry of a bungalow on Jantar Mantar Road, issued notices to the Centre and Delhi government. A bench of Justice Purushendra Kumar Kaurav ordered the issuance of notices.

During the hearing, the court raised questions about the maintainability of Congress party's petition, stating that it would consider the request for interim relief only after being satisfied that the petition is maintainable. In its petition, Congress party stated that the bungalow at 7, Jantar Mantar Road was allotted to it as early as January 16, 1956. The party had deposited the full payment for it in 1959. Congress party had paid ₹6,10,700 along with additional premium and annual rent on May 21, 1959. Thereafter, the Congress party was asked to take possession of the bungalow.

The Congress party referred in the petition to information received via RTI, in which officials from Delhi government's Land and Building Department had directed the registry of this bungalow. Citing the Supreme Court's 2014 judgment in Janata Dal vs Congress and Others, the petition stated that any property held by the Congress party prior to 1969 belongs to the current Congress party. The petition further stated that the Congress party has been continuously reporting to the administration since 2017 to get the registry of this bungalow done, but no decision has been taken, following which the party approached the High Court.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar