"Encroacher" AAP Asked To Vacate Office By 15 June, Supreme Court Rules Land Belongs To Delhi HC

Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) was on Monday (4 March) asked by the Supreme Court to vacate its office located near Rouse Avenue Court by 15 June.

This is because the said land belongs to the Delhi High Court and it was allotted to the Rouse Avenue Court to set up family courts as part of an expansion.

The Supreme Court gave time till 15 June as representing the AAP, Abhishek Manu Singhvi argued that it won't be possible for the party to shift ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

Singhvi further demanded that if AAP is being asked to move to the Badarpur area, other political parties should also be asked to do so and cited the presence of the BJP office in the same area.

He also claimed that the plot was allotted to the district judiciary in 2020 and to AAP prior to that in 2015. He demanded to get an office space in the same area as it is a "very large place."

AAP was mentioned as "an encroacher" by the Delhi Chief Secretary in a 13 June 2017 order. Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud expressed that he is only concerned here with the High Court's needs.