The Delhi High Court on Thursday, 28 February, dismissed the plea filed by National Herald’s publisher Associate Journals Limited (AJL) against the order to evict its premises, Herald House, as reported by PTI.
According to ANI, the Court has not clarified the time by which Associated Journals Limited has to evict the Herald building.
The judgment was pronounced by a Division Bench of Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and Justice V Kameswar Rao. On 18 February, the bench had reserved its verdict after hearing the counsel appearing for AJL and the Centre.
The Centre and Land and Development Office (L&DO) have said in their order that no press has been functioning in the premises for at least the past 10 years and it was being used only for commercial purposes in violation of the lease deed.
AJL had denied the allegations in the petition filed in the high court. However, Justice Sunil Gaur rejected the contentions of the AJL challenging the Centre's 30 October order ending its 56-year-old lease.
The high court said AJL will have to vacate the premises at ITO in New Delhi within two weeks after which proceedings under the Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorized Occupants) Act, 1971 would be initiated.
The court had reserved its decision on AJL's plea on 22 November. The Centre said that all the procedures have been duly followed before issuing the notice.
AJL had opposed the Centre's stand, saying that the publication of the web edition began in 2016 and the issue of the absence of printing press in the premises was not raised then.
(With inputs from PTI, Bar and Bench and ANI)
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