Associated Journals Limited (AJL), the publisher of National Herald newspaper, moved the Delhi High Court on Monday challenging the Centre’s order directing it to vacate the premises in the press enclave at ITO here.
On October 30, the Urban Development Ministry ended its 56-year-old lease and asked the AJL to vacate the premises by November 15.
The plea is scheduled to come up for hearing before the High Court on Tuesday.
The petition alleged that the Land and Development Office’s order was “illegal, unconstitutional, arbitrary, tainted with mala fide and without authority and jurisdiction.”
The petitioner said the Centre had warned it of action under the Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Act, 1971, if it failed to vacate the premises.
One of the grounds mentioned in the L&DO order is that no press has been functioning on the premises for the last 10 years and that it is being used only for commercial purposes in violation of the lease deed. The allegation has been refuted by the AJL.
