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In a significant intervention in the ongoing Westend Green Farms, Rajokri land demarcation dispute, the Delhi High Court has directed the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) to examine landowners' title documents and grant them a proper hearing before finalising any demarcation related to the storm water drain at Westend Green Farms, Rajokri, Vasant Vihar, and make alterations in demarcation, if required.

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The directions came in petitions filed by Neeti Pawar and Lalit Gulati & Sons HUF, both challenging demarcation exercises allegedly carried out without adherence to due process of law. The dispute concerns the identification of land said to form part of a "Storm Nalla/Drain" on Gram Sabha/DDA land in villages Samalka and Rajokri.

Court Intervenes on Behalf of Landowners

In the petition filed by Neeti Pawar, Advocates Sumit Gehlot & Manju Gehlot of Fidelegal Advocates & Solicitors submitted that the demarcation exercise had been conducted without associating their client, despite her being an adjoining landowner. Sumit Gehlot submitted before the Court that Pawar, owner of Farm measuring 11 Bighas and 18 Biswas, holds valid title documents, revenue records, and a sanctioned building plan. He contended that under the guise of identifying the nalla area, authorities had alleged that a portion of her land fell within the drain without first examining her ownership documents.

Hearing the matter, Justice Sanjeev Narula observed that since the petitioner's land adjoins the land mentioned in the notice dated December 9, 2025, she should be permitted to raise her objections and place her title documents before the DDA. Accepting the submissions advanced by Sumit Gehlot, the Court disposed of the petition with directions allowing Pawar to submit a detailed representation along with all relevant title and revenue documents. The DDA has been directed to consider the same strictly in accordance with the law. She has been asked to appear before the Deputy Director (Land Management), DDA, on March 5, 2026.

Similar Directions in Second Petition

In a similar matter concerning Lalit Gulati & Sons HUF, Justice Jasmeet Singh dealt with a challenge to a demarcation conducted on January 2, 2026. Advocates Sumit Gehlot & Manju Gehlot of Fidelegal Advocates & Solicitors in the matter alleged that the DDA was attempting to take over some portion of land of said HUF under the garb of demarcation without granting them a hearing or examining their title documents.

The DDA, however, maintained that it was only demarcating its own land forming part of a storm nalla. Observing that the earlier exercise had been conducted without hearing the landowners or verifying their records, the Court directed that a mandatory hearing be granted. The petitioners have been asked to appear before the Deputy Director, New Delhi Zone, DDA, on March 5, 2026, at 11:30 a.m., after which the demarcation be suitably modified, if required, as per the law. (ANI)