NEW DELHI: Delhi High Court judge Justice Rekha Palli on Monday recused itself from hearing AAP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha’s plea challenging the cancellation of his official bungalow allotment.
Justice Rekha Palli stepped aside from the case and directed that it be listed before an alternate bench on December 18.
Chadha, in his petition, alleged that the cancellation of his Type-VII bungalow allotment was a result of “selective targeting” due to his outspoken role in Parliament. “It clearly reflects vendetta politics by the Rajya Sabha Secretariat,” Chadha asserted.
Represented by Senior Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Chadha’s legal team argued that the cancellation was unjust and politically motivated. However, the trial court had earlier dismissed his petition on November 26, stating there was no legal basis for him to retain the bungalow.
In the trial court’s ruling, Additional Sessions Judge Sumit Dass concluded that the court found no evidence of bias or malafide intent by the Rajya Sabha House Committee and noted that Chadha’s status as a licensee paying a license fee did not grant him permanent rights to the bungalow.
The court also pointed out that Chadha had already been allotted another flat in accordance with the official guidelines. The judge stated, “There is no legal justification in permitting the plaintiff to retain the present accommodation.”