Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 19: Division Bench of High Court comprising Justice Janak Raj Kotwal and Justice Sanjeev Kumar has ordered maintenance of status quo with regard to the Government accommodation provided to former Minister Ajay Kumar Sadhotra till next date of hearing.
After hearing Advocates Ajay Sharma and D S Chauhan appearing for the appellant and Advocate General Jahangir Iqbal Ganai with Government Advocate Ahthsam Bhat, the DB ordered maintenance of status quo with regard to Government Quarter No. 17-A, Gandhi Nagar till March 22, 2018 and directed the Advocate General to keep available the record on the next date.
Ajay Kumar Sadhotra, former minister and Member Legislative Council had challenged the judgment of Single Bench on the ground that the Estates Officer without adhering to the provisions of Section 4 of the J&K Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Act, 1988 and without declaring the appellant as un-authorized occupant by importing his satisfaction on the basis of the report of Designate Committee headed by ADGP (Security dated 19.12.2015 issued eviction notice dated 01.04.2016 in an arbitrary and illegal manner.
It was submitted by the counsels of former Minister that the ex-Legislators, Ministers, Members of Parliament of the ruling dispensation have been allowed to retain the Government accommodation whereas the appellant has been subjected to hostile discrimination which tantamounts to violation of Article 14 of Constitution of India.
“The appellant was allotted the Government accommodation not only because of his status as former Legislator/Minister but also because of having faced recurring threat perception and his being falling under the category of ‘protected person”, the counsels said.
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