Delhi High Court upholds eviction of Associated Journals Limited from Herald House

The Centre had ended its 56-year-old lease and asked AJL to vacate the premises.
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Thursday upheld eviction of Associated Journals Limited (AJL) from Herald House however the court has not clarified on the time in which AJL has to evict the building.
The Centre had ended its 56-year-old lease and asked AJL to vacate the premises, saying no printing or publishing activity was going on and the building was being used only for commercial purposes.
The L&DO had ended the lease – entered into with AJL on August 2, 1962 and made perpetual on January 10, 1967 – asking the company to hand over the possession by November 15, 2018.
Consequently, a petition filed by AJL against the government’s eviction notice. AJL, which owns National Herald, had approached the Delhi HC last October against the government’s eviction order.
On February 18, a bench of Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and Justice V K Rao reserved its decision after Associated Journals Ltd concluded its arguments.
The government had contended that the land in question was allocated to AJL on lease for printing press and this “dominant purpose” was stopped several years ago.
AJL has appealed against the single judge’s December 21, 2018 order that directed it to vacate the premises at ITO within two weeks, after which eviction proceedings under the Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Act, 1971, would be initiated.