Delhi High Court Quashes Malafide Lease Termination: A Five-Decade Legal Battle Ends

The Delhi High Court has deemed the Centre's decision to terminate the lease deed with Express Newspapers as arbitrary and malafide, ending a legal battle spanning over five decades. The court directed Express Newspapers to pay Rs 64 crore for various charges but quashed the notices seeking ejection of the media house.

The Delhi High Court has ruled that the Centre's decision to terminate its lease with Express Newspapers for the 'Express Building' was both arbitrary and malafide, concluding a legal battle lasting over five decades.

This ruling, delivered by Justice Prathiba M Singh, nullifies the 37-year-old notice that sought to eject the media house from its Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg premises. The court has ordered Express Newspapers to pay approximately Rs 64 crore in charges towards "conversion charges", "ground rent", and "additional ground rent".

The court found that the alleged breaches cited by the Centre for lease termination were not substantiated by records, and highlighted that these issues had already been resolved by the Supreme Court in 1985.

(With inputs from agencies.)