The bungalow bungle has just got a louder rap from the Supreme Court. The court has said the government lacks the will and guts to evict its VIP tenants.
NEW DELHI: The bungalow bungle has just got a louder rap from the Supreme Court. The court has said the government lacks the will and guts to evict its VIP tenants. Overstaying in government bungalows or apartments across the country should be a criminal offence, it said.
“A politician once enters a bungalow doesn’t leave. Time would come when most of these houses will become memorials,” a visibly anguished bench of Justices BN Aggarwal and DK Jain told the government’s counsel on Tuesday.
“The government lacks the will and guts to take action against influential persons since it involved vote-bank politics,” the judges pointed out. “What will you do with political parties and other big people? You don’t have guts because it concerns your vote-bank. You hang the peon and leave the big people.”
While adjudicating a petition against overstaying in government residences, the bench said it wanted those overstaying to be prosecuted on charges of criminal trespass under section 441 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
“We suggest the government make suitable amendments in the law to make an offence under (section) 441 of (the) IPC a non-bailable offence. Presently, the offence is bailable,” the judges said.
“All unauthorised occupants, including politicians, bureaucrats and government servants, should be booked under section 441 of (the) IPC, and the process of making recoveries of outstanding dues, including penal rent from unauthorised occupants, should be made more stringent,” the court ordered.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}