Justice in Dock
The fire at a High Court judge’s official residence in Delhi that allegedly burnt a large amount of cash has dominated the headlines for the last one week.
The Delhi High Court has dismissed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) challenging Manish Sisodia’s continued residence in a government bungalow despite not holding a ministerial portfolio.
The bench led by Acting Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru, while refusing for Judicial Intervention in the matter remarked that the competent authorities are fully capable of taking appropriate action if any rules or regulations are violated in the matter.
In his plea, petitioner Sanjeev Jain highlighted that despite Manish Sisodia being sent to jail in March 2023, his entire family continued to reside in the government bungalow allotted to him. This, the petitioner argued, is in violation of the rules and regulations governing the allotment and vacation of government bungalows, especially considering that Sisodia had resigned from his ministerial post in the Government of NCT of Delhi.
The petitioner contended that the continued occupancy of the bungalow by Sisodia’s family, after his arrest and resignation, is contrary to the established regulations related to the allotment and vacation of government accommodation.
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In his plea, petitioner further stated that, according to the established rules and regulations, every government minister is entitled to a government bungalow for personal use. Citing these regulations, the petitioner highlighted that the Chief Minister was allotted Bungalow No. AB-17, Mathura Road, New Delhi, both for her residence and for carrying out her ministerial duties.
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The petitioner further emphasized that it is a settled rule that the allottee’s family members, including the spouse, children, stepchildren, legally adopted children, parents, siblings, and others who ordinarily reside with and are dependent on the officer, are allowed to reside in the government bungalow.
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