SC stays national herald eviction orders

The Supreme Court on Friday put on hold a Delhi High Court order asking Associated Journals Ltd, the publisher of Congress-linked newspaper National Herald, to vacate Herald House building near ITO in the heart of Delhi.

The order came on a petition filed by Associated Journals (AJL) that challenged the eviction order issued by the urban development ministry, which was upheld by the high court.

A three-judge bench led by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi also issued notice to the the Centre’s Land and Development Office (L&DO), giving it two weeks to reply. It will then hear the case in detail on a non-miscellaneous day. Until then, the bench ordered a stay on all other related eviction proceedings initiated by the ministry against AJL.


“Notice, stay,” the bench said after hearing short arguments from senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, who represented AJL. “Is there a transfer of the lease?” CJI Gogoi asked Solicitor General Tushar Mehta. “That we will have to see.”

“Would a transfer of shares amount to violation of a lease condition,” the CJI wondered. “So a new group of people are in control? But is that a violation of a lease condition?”