By Smriti Singh
NEW DELHI: A long-standing dispute over the ownership of the property of Head of State of Tibet (in exile), The Dalai Lama, in the capital has finally come to an end. The property – 10, Ring Road, Lajpat Nagar (known as the Bureau of his Holiness The Dalai Lama) – had been stuck in a legal tangle for the past 16 years with a Delhi-based man seeking the decree of possession of the 600 square yard property from the court. Finally, a trial court has dismissed the petition saying in the absence of written consent from the central government, “His Holiness The Dalai Lama cannot be sued”.
Claiming to be the previous owner of the property, the man sought the possession of the property on the ground that he had sold it to one of the representatives of His Holiness The Dalai Lama in 1973 for Rs 6 lakh. However, as necessary permission to sell property in India to a foreigner could not be received, the agreement between the parties was not fulfilled and hence he should get his house back.
Moving the court in 1984 against Dalai Lama and his representative, he also sought damages from them for the use of the house. His attempts, however, did not meet with the desired result as Additional District Judge Rajender Kumar Shastri on Thursday rejected the petition and disposed of the matter.
Petitioner Om Prakash Baldev had submitted that an agreement was executed between him and P Thandon, representative of The Dalai Lama, on November 9, 1973. A sum of Rs 4 lakh was also paid to Baldev as part payment after which the property was handed over to Thandon.
The property serves as the Office of the Representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in New Delhi.
