AJL moves HC over single judge order to vacate Delhi premises

NEW DELHI : Associated Journals Ltd (AJL), the publisher of National Herald newspaper, has approached the Delhi High Court challenging a single judge order asking it to vacate the premises in press enclave at ITO here.

It has also sought stay on operation of single judge’s December 21, 2018 order.

Advocate Sunil Fernandes, representing the AJL, said the appeal was filed on Saturday evening and it is likely to come up for hearing on January 9.

The high court had dismissed the AJL’S plea challenging the Centre’s order to vacate its premises by holding that the publisher of the National Herald has not provided any instances to support the serious allegations of malafide levelled against the ruling dispensation.

It had said AJL will have to vacate the ITO premises within two weeks after which eviction proceedings would be initiated.

The Centre had ended its 56-year-old lease and asked the AJL to vacate the premises.

“Considering the factual nature, legal complexities and voluminous issues raised in the writ petition, it was indeed appropriate that the single judge ought to have issued formal notice and asked the respondent to place their say formally by way of an counter/reply affidavit rather taking documents across the bar and then proceedings to in limine dismiss the writ petition,” the appeal, filed through Priyansha Indra Sharma, said. “In doing so, the single judge has displayed an unwarranted haste, uncalled for in the facts and circumstances of the present case,” it added.