[Breaking] Delhi High Court directs Subramanian Swamy to hand over his Delhi bungalow within six weeks

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday directed former BJP Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament (MP) Subramanian Swamy to hand over possession of his Delhi bungalow to the estate officer within six weeks [Dr. Subramanian Swamy v Union of India and Anr]. .Single-judge Justice Yashwant Varma, therefore, disposed of Swamy's plea seeking re-allotment of his bungalow where he had been living since January 2016 in view of security threats to him. “The court notes that the allotment was made for five year and that period has come to an end. The court has not been shown any material which mandates or requires allotment of government accommodation to Z category protectee,” the court said in its order. .Swamy had been allotted a bungalow in Delhi by the Centre for 5 years in January 2016. He continued to live there throughout his Rajya Sabha tenure which came to an end in April 2022. As he was supposed to vacate the premises, Swamy approached the Delhi High Court seeking re-allotment of the bungalow in view of the continued security threat to him. He continues to be Z category protectee. .However, the Centre today opposed the plea arguing that even though the security perception towards Swamy hasn't been downgraded, there is no obligation on the government to provide an accommodation to him along with security cover.ASG Sanjay Jain appeared for Centre and stated that the government will continue to provide security to the senior leader, subject to periodical reviews, but it will not be possible to re-allot the bungalow in question. He has a house in Delhi where he can shift and the protecting agencies will take all steps to ensure his safety there, Jain told the court. .Senior Advocate Jayant Mehta appeared for Swamy and argued that bearing in mind the security threat to him, the house is needed to accommodate the security personnel who accompany the former MP at all times. “Till today the number of guards has not gone down… I have no difficulty in shifting to my personal accommodation but it is insufficient. As a protectee, I am required to ensure that they (security personnel) rest and their basic needs are met,” Mehta said.