HC dismisses AI staff appeals against eviction from Kalina
HC, though, continued a stay on their eviction for another six weeks to enable them to appeal to Supreme Court.
The staffers and AI, following its privatisation, were locked in a legal battle over eviction from their staff quarters. The employees, in their appeals against Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL) and others, said there were five broad grounds in their favour.
The single-judge bench of Justice Sharmila Deshmukh, in her judgment, said the land belonged to Airport Authority of India (AAI) and, "As the lands leased to Air India Ltd constitute airport premises, the buildings cannot be divorced from the leased lands to constitute public premises by applying the concept of dual ownership post disinvestment," She added, "Once the residential accommodations are held to be airport premises, it is the AAI Act which would be applicable and not the PPE (Public Premises Eviction) Act.
"
You Can Also Check:
Mumbai AQI
|
Weather in Mumbai
|
Bank Holidays in Mumbai
|
Public Holidays in Mumbai
Following earlier HC orders giving staffers time until Sept 24, 2022, after housing accommodation by AI to staff was withdrawn, the HC noted that of 1,683 flats located in 106 buildings, 216 flats remain occupied. Upon disinvestment, no right remained to continue to occupy the residential accommodation, the HC said.
The HC also held that leasehold rights in the housing colony lands were transferred to MIAL upon the disinvestment of Air India Ltd.
Through advocates Mihir Desai, Ashok Shetty, and Rita Joshi, they argued the right to retain their quarters was pending before the SC. Besides, AI and the Centre suggested the PPE Act would apply and MIAL or AAI cannot invoke eviction action as the AAI Act doesn't apply. The staffers are from AI, Air India Engineering Services Ltd, and AI Airport Services Ltd. The colony is maintained by Air India Staff Colony Associations, which the staffers said are in possession of the staff colonies entrusted to them by Air India.
After hearing senior counsel Vikram Nankani for MIAL and Shilpa Kapil for AAI, who said the eviction order under the law is justified, the HC dismissed the appeal. The HC said, "No right in the housing colonies' lands or the housing colonies remained with Air India Ltd upon disinvestment and no such right can be claimed by its employees."
The HC also said proceedings pending before the SC can't be a ground to stay the eviction proceedings, especially when the apex court did not interfere with the institution of eviction proceedings.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Harsh Goenka to Sabeer Bhatia: India doesn't need sermons from those who packed up and left. We love this country and ...
A sharp exchange unfolded between Hotmail co-founder Sabeer Bhatia and billionaire Harsh Goenka recently over the use of the term 'anti-national'. On July 31, 2025, Sabeer Bhatia shared a post criticizing the labeling of truth-telling as "anti-national" in India. 'Say India is unsafe for women - you're anti-national . Question inflated economic numbers - you're anti-national. Call out elected leaders' lies - you're anti-national. Mention lost aircraft - you're anti-national. So if truth = anti-national… then who's a national? The one who lies to you?,' Bhatia wrote in an X post. Now, Harsha Goenka has responded sharply to Bhatia's post, saying 'India doesn't need sermons from those who packed up and left,' questioning his right to comment from abroad. 'Living in California and lecturing a billion Indians back home? We live here. We vote, work, pay taxes. We love this country- and we'll fix what's broken. India doesn't need sermons from those who packed up and left,' Goenka replied to Sabeer Bhatia. Bhatia has, in recent months, stirred debates on social media with his post criticizing India, including the country's education system and it's economic growth. In a post dated June 10, Sabeer Bhatia wrote on X: "Instead of hanging your head in shame that 415 million people in India survive on $3.10/day [approx. Rs 265/day], you brag about being the world's 4th largest economy. Shame on you." In an NNP podcast interview earlier this year, Bhatia said that instead of creating original thinkers, India is producing an "army of useless kids" who only know how to follow orders. 'We live in a conformist society—people are often told, 'Listen to others, do what they say',' Bhatia then said, further adding 'But why follow a path that's already been walked?'. During the interview, Bhatia said that the Indian education system is wired to produce workers who take 'orders' instead of creating 'visionaries' with the ability to disrupt systems. AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Adani Power goes for a 1:5 stock split, Q1 net profit dips 15%
Adani Power on Friday said its board of directors has approved a stock split, dividing each existing equity share of face value '10 into five equity shares of face value '2 each. "The subdivision of shares is intended to encourage wider retail participation by making the stock more affordable," it said in a regulatory filing. The company on Friday also reported a 15.5% fall in its consolidated net profit for the first quarter ended June to '3,305 crore from '3,913 crore a year earlier. Revenue from operations declined 5.9% to '14,167 crore from '15,052 crore. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Please select course: Select a Course Category Data Science healthcare Cybersecurity Public Policy MBA Finance Artificial Intelligence Others Management Technology Degree Digital Marketing Product Management MCA PGDM others Healthcare Operations Management Data Science Design Thinking CXO Data Analytics Leadership Project Management Skills you'll gain: Duration: 10 Months IIM Kozhikode CERT-IIMK DABS India Starts on undefined Get Details Skills you'll gain: Duration: 11 Months IIT Madras CERT-IITM Advanced Cert Prog in AI and ML India Starts on undefined Get Details Skills you'll gain: Duration: 10 Months E&ICT Academy, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati CERT-IITG Prof Cert in DS & BA with GenAI India Starts on undefined Get Details Skills you'll gain: Duration: 11 Months E&ICT Academy, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati CERT-IITG Postgraduate Cert in AI and ML India Starts on undefined Get Details Skills you'll gain: Duration: 30 Weeks IIM Kozhikode SEPO - IIMK-AI for Senior Executives India Starts on undefined Get Details Its consolidated earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (Ebitda) from continuing operations stood at '5,744 crore in the first quarter, down from '6,290 crore a year ago, primarily due to lower revenue and added costs from recent acquisitions. The Ebitda rose 12.7% sequentially. Adani Power's scrip closed at '566.7 on the BSE on Friday, down 3.5% from its previous close. The company said the record date for its stock split will be determined after shareholder approval and will be communicated in due course. Live Events The split means the total number of authorised shares will increase fivefold, but the overall value of authorised, subscribed, and paid-up share capital will remain unchanged at '3,856.9 crore.
New Indian Express
2 hours ago
- New Indian Express
SEZ rent disputes won't come under Rent Control Act, rules Kerala High Court
KOCHI: In a significant ruling, the Kerala High Court has held that rent-related disputes involving units operating within Special Economic Zones (SEZs) cannot be brought before regular rent control courts. It quashed proceedings initiated by the developer of SmartCity-Kochi before the Munsiff Court, Ernakulam (Rent Control), ruling that such matters must be dealt with under the SEZ Act, 2005. A division bench of Justices A K Jayasankaran Nambiar and P M Manoj allowed a petition filed by Musthafa & Almana International Consultants, a firm functioning in SmartCity-Kochi, challenging the maintainability of the rent control case filed by the developer, SmartCity (Kochi) Infrastructure Pvt Ltd, promoted by Dubai Holding. The lower court had accepted the developer's petition under the Kerala Buildings (Lease and Rent Control) Act, 1965, alleging non-payment of over Rs 61 lakh in sub-lease rent and charges. But the High Court observed that the lease agreement between the parties was an outcome of the petitioner's SEZ approval and could not be treated as a regular landlord-tenant relationship. 'The remedy chosen by the developer was not one that was available to it in law,' the court said, adding that the issue was integral to the broader question of whether the petitioner continued to qualify as an 'entrepreneur' under the SEZ Act. If the unit has violated lease terms, the court noted, the developer must approach the SEZ Development Commissioner for cancellation of approval. Only then can eviction proceedings be initiated under the Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Act. The judgment comes at a time when Dubai Holding, one of the main promoters of SmartCity-Kochi, has announced plans to exit the project, and the Kerala government is exploring a takeover of the venture in Kakkanad. 'We've argued from the start that this isn't a Rent Control case,' said Musthafa Zafeer O V, founder of the petitioner firm. 'The High Court agreed and dismissed the proceedings initiated before the Munsiff Court, Ernakulam,' he said.
