NEW DELHI,22 March 2026 : Police, accompanied by lawyers and officials, Friday night sealed the headquarters of the UNI news agency here after Delhi High Court ordered its eviction from the government land. The journalists were hounded out at the time of their peak time of work
The Court said that UNI was effectively squatting on valuable public land for more than 45 years, despite its inability to perform obligations that were part of the conditions for land allotment.
The police action came just hours after the Delhi High Court ordered the cancellation of a land allotment made to UNI more than four decades back in Central Delhi, a few paces away from Connaught Place.
Justice Sachin Datta passed the order at 1:30 PM on Friday, dismissing UNI’s challenge to the Land and Development Office (L&DO) letter dated March 29, 2023, which cancelled the allotment of 2,024 square metres of land at 9 Rafi Marg in Central Delhi.
He directed the authorities to take immediate possession of the property.
The Court observed that the land, originally allotted in 1979 for the construction of a composite office complex for multiple media organisations, remained undeveloped for over four decades. Despite repeated revisions to the allotment structure and inclusion of co-allottees such as the Press Council of India (PCI), no meaningful construction was undertaken, it noted.
UNI argued that delays were caused by shifting government policies, lack of clarity over responsibilities, and the involvement of multiple stakeholders. It also contended that agencies like the Central Public Works Department were responsible for initiating construction plans.
However, the Court rejected these claims and observed that UNI was effectively squatting on “valuable public land for more than 45 years, despite its inability to perform its obligations.”
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Umakant Lakhera is a Senior Journalist and Political Commentator
