SC Grants AAP Extension to Vacate Rouse Avenue Office in Delhi

SC Grants AAP Extension to Vacate Rouse Avenue Office in Delhi

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has been given an extension by the Supreme Court to relocate from its current office situated on the land owned by Rouse Avenue court in Delhi.

A Bench comprising Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Sandeep Mehta, presiding during a vacation session, granted an extension to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) following a plea by Senior Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing the AAP, who requested additional time from the Court.

In March, the apex court had initially instructed the AAP to vacate the premises by June 15, considering the upcoming Lok Sabha elections at that time.

Today, it extended the time "on an undertaking to be given by the applicant (AAP) within a week before Supreme Court registry that they shall handover vacant and peaceful possession by August 10, 2024".

"The premises in question had to be vacated till June 15, 2024. The premises is already allotted to Delhi High Court in 2020. The expansion of High Court is stultified and cost expansion is also a factor. This application is for extension of time till August 10, 2024. Considering facts and circumstances and as a last opportunity, we extend the time till August 10," the Court said.

Advocate K Parameshwar, representing the High Court, had previously expressed that the delay in the transfer of the land had significantly hampered the High Court's plans for infrastructural expansion.

"There is a shortage of 90 courtrooms and the land has not been used still by the High Court. We are in dire conditions and now we may have to rent premises. They want some place in Central Delhi and they are getting land someplace else," Parameshwar submitted.

In March, a bench comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud along with Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, had ruled that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had been unlawfully occupying the premises since 2015, as the land had originally been allotted to the Delhi High Court. Despite the unlawful occupation, the Court, taking into account the elections, had granted the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) an extension until June 15 to vacate the premises. Additionally, the Court had allowed the AAP to approach the Land and Development Office (L&DO) for the allocation of new land, with the L&DO instructed to convey its decision to the AAP within four weeks.

In a related development, earlier this month, the High Court had directed the Central government to promptly decide on providing temporary office space for the AAP to enable the party to continue its operations.

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