Delhi HC flays Delhi Police for its stand on property dispute

The Delhi High Court has criticised the Delhi police for taking different stands in the court in a 16 year-old property dispute against it for occupying a private property near Jama Masjid without paying the rent for several years.

Expressing anguish over the police attitude in refusing to pay a rent of Rs 34,800 as fixed by a committee set up by the court, the court also directed the chief secretary of Delhi government to look into the matter.

"We find here that a 16-year old writ petition is pending in which different stands are sought to be taken....as in the case of Delhi Police. In view of the conflicting stands, the matter should be brought to the notice of the chief secretary, Delhi government," said a Division Bench headed  by justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul in an order.

Directing the Commissioner of Police to take suitable action in the case, the Bench said "we strongly deprecate the stand of the additional deputy commissioner of Police, Land and Building Cell, who appears to think that he is an authority unto his ownself and the exercise was carried out by the said committee...is a fruitless exercise despite the clear consent of the police authority".

The court was hearing a petition filed by Fatima Bi and others challenging the acquisistion process of the city government.

Fatima claimed the first and second floor of the propety belonged to her and the same was let out to police for a picket before 1950 for Rs50 and for the past several years the police stopped paying the rent but took the help of city government to acquire the property for itself.