Delhi High Court Issues Notice On Indian National Congress' Plea Seeking Conveyance Deed For Jantar Mantar Property

The Delhi High Court on Thursday issued notice on a plea filed by Indian National Congress seeking a direction on the Delhi Government to execute a sale or conveyance deed in its favour regarding a property situated at city's Jantar Mantar Road.

Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav sought response of Union of India through Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs and the Delhi Government.

Congress was represented by Senior Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi and Advocate Aadil Boparai. Centre was represented through CGSC Ashish Dixit.

Requesting for a notice, Singhvi said that Congress is the allottee of the property and has been in possession for decades but the Delhi Government has not been responding despite the party regularly asking for execution of the conveyance deed.

Although the Court said that it doubted the maintainability of the petition and said that the party should file a civil suit instead, it still issued notice on the petition as well as on plea seeking interim relief.

The matter will now be heard on September 14.

Congress has claimed that it had paid the full sale consideration for the premises as far back as 1959.

The petition states that the property was allotted to the Congress party by the Government of India in 1956 and that the entire negotiated consideration amount of Rs. 6,10,700, along with additional premium and ground rent charges, was deposited in May 1959.

According to the petition, the Ministry of Rehabilitation had, through a letter dated January 16, 1956, approved allotment of a portion of the premises to the Indian National Congress and directed the Custodian of Evacuee Property to take steps for its release. 

A subsequent communication dated January 31, 1956 allegedly requested the Congress party to depute a representative to receive the allotment letter and take possession of the property.

The Congress party has contended that despite payment of the entire consideration amount, execution of the conveyance deed was delayed initially because of litigation initiated by tenants occupying portions of the property and later due to the split in the Congress party in 1969.

The petition alleges that despite favourable internal recommendations and repeated representations made between 2017 and 2026, no decision was communicated to the party and no conveyance deed has been executed till date.

Claiming that the authorities' inaction is arbitrary and violative of Article 14 of the Constitution, the AICC has argued that the State cannot indefinitely delay execution of the deed after accepting full consideration and internally acknowledging the party's entitlement to the property.

Title: All India Congress Committee (Indian National Congress) v. Union of India & Anr