HC grants interim protection to Congress MP from being evicted

NEW DELHI: Delhi High Court has granted Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury interim protection from being evicted from a bungalow in New Moti Bagh where he is residing.

Justice J R Midha directed the government not to take any coercive steps against Chowdhury, a Lok Sabha MP from Berhampore constituency of West Bengal, till February 1, after he contended that the new accommodation he has to move in has not yet been refurbished, as directed by the court on November 3 last year.

The judge listed the matter before the appropriate court for hearing on Monday.

The MP, who currently resides at a bungalow in New Moti Bagh in South Delhi, has been asked to move to one located at Humayun Road in Lutyen's Delhi.

Chowdhury's lawyer, Vivek Narayn Sharma, told the court that police came to his residence on January 28 and asked him to vacate the premises immediately, failing which they would be constrained to use force.

Sharma contended that the MP was not served with any notice prior to this action and alleged that the court's earlier direction to the Centre to refurbish the new accommodation has not yet been complied with.

The Centre on November 3 last year had assured the court that it would carry out the necessary refurbishment of the Humayun Road bungalow, in accordance with the extant rules and regulations.