India, April 23 -- The Supreme Court on Wednesday granted immunity from eviction to the central government over non-payment of rent for properties it occupies in Capital's upscale Sujan Singh Park, holding that the relationship between the Centre and the lessee is governed by a pre-Independence government grant and not the conventional Delhi Rent Control (DRC) Act.

The decision came as a relief to the Centre, which was in possession of 14 flats, 39 servant quarters, and 25 garages at Sujan Singh Park, located next to south Delhi's Khan Market. The Centre had suffered setbacks as the Rent Controller Tribunal (RCT) upheld eviction over non-payment of rent in 2007, which was then confirmed by the Delhi High Court on January 8, 2020.

Decidi...