Wedding venue or flying club? HC junks plea against eviction

New Delhi: The Delhi high court has dismissed a plea of Delhi Flying Club challenging its eviction from the Safdarjung Airport, saying the place was now known more as a marriage party venue rather than aeronautical activities. Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw’s decision came on the pleas of Aero Club of India Pvt Ltd ( ACIPL) and Delhi Flying Club ( DFC) challenging the Airport Authority of India’s ( AAI) eviction order, directives regarding licence fee and show- cause notices issued to the club for non- payment of licence fee dues of over 8.3 crore. Maintaining that no injustice was meted out to DFC, the court in its judgment also noted that since the club had no share capital, AAI would have no means to recover the amount if it was later held that the licence fee was recoverable. In such a situation, if the petitioners’ plea to keep in abeyance the increased licence fee was accepted, it would amount to writing off the dues, the court said. “I am otherwise also of the view that no injustice is being meted out to the petitioner 2 ( DFC). The senior counsel for the petitioners during the hearing, on enquiry, informed that only training on simulator is being imparted by DFC. “The DFC, for imparting the said training, certainly does not need such kind of valuable land and property in its occupation and qua which I as a resident of the city can say is known more now for the last at least 10 years as a marriage/ party venue than for its aeronautical activities,” the court said in its 35- page verdict. DFC and ACIPL had also challenged the increase in licence fee proposed back in 2007. —