Amidst protests by journalists, the Delhi Police on Friday evening sealed the office of news agency United News of India (UNI) at Delhi's Rafi Marg.
The police action came just hours after the Delhi High Court ordered the cancellation of a land allotment made to UNI more than four decades back in Central Delhi, a few paces away from Connaught Place.
Justice Sachin Datta passed the order at 1:30 PM on Friday, dismissing UNI’s challenge to the Land and Development Office (L&DO) letter dated March 29, 2023, which cancelled the allotment of 2,024 square metres of land at 9, Rafi Marg in Central Delhi.
He directed the authorities to take immediate possession of the property.
“This Court finds no merit whatsoever in the present petition, and the same is, accordingly, dismissed. All interim orders stand vacated. The concerned official/s of the respondent/s are directed to immediately take possession of the land/property in question and ensure that the same is utilized in accordance with law,” the Court ordered.
The Court observed that the land, originally allotted in 1979 for the construction of a composite office complex for multiple media organisations, remained undeveloped for over four decades. Despite repeated revisions to the allotment structure and inclusion of co-allottees such as the Press Council of India (PCI), no meaningful construction was undertaken, it noted.
UNI argued that delays were caused by shifting government policies, lack of clarity over responsibilities, and the involvement of multiple stakeholders. It also contended that agencies like the Central Public Works Department were responsible for initiating construction plans.
However, the Court rejected these claims and observed that UNI was effectively squatting on “valuable public land for more than 45 years, despite its inability to perform its obligations."
“The attempt on the part of the Petitioner to shift the blame for its non-performance onto other entities such as CPWD and NBCC is a disingenuous afterthought that does not withstand scrutiny. In any event, as already noticed, the delay from 1979 to 1999 (a period of nearly two decades) predates any involvement of CPWD or NBCC whatsoever. It is therefore wholly untenable for the Petitioner to attribute its default, spanning over more than 45 years, to alleged coordination issues with agencies whose involvement was not even contemplated during the first two decades of its possession,” the Bench added.
Senior Advocate Rajshekhar Rao with advocates Praveen Kumar, Nikhil Singhvi, Vinayak Bhandari, Sarthak Gupta, Soham Krishan Luthra, and Suman Raj appeared for UNI.
Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Chetan Sharma with Central Government Standing Counsel (CGSC) Ashish K Dixit and advocates Umar Hashmi, Gautam Yadav, Iqra Sheikh, Amit Gupta, RV Prabhat, Yashvardhan and Naman appeared for the Land and Development Office.
[Read Judgment]