Omar’s estranged wife refuses to vacate Lutyens’ bungalow

Mehbooba Mufti swept away opponents to win the Anantnag assembly seat recently, but her government has run into a wall trying to evict former CM Omar Abdullah’s estranged wife from a sprawling type-VIII 7 Akbar Road bungalow, which is the CM’s designated official residence in New Delhi.
Payal Abdullah, estranged from Omar in 2011, has resisted all attempts by the J&K resident commission estate officer to evict her. As an estranged wife, Payal insists, it’s her legal right to contest the eviction and live in the bungalow allotted to her husband.
Citing Priyanka Gandhi’s example, Payal says she’s been living in the bungalow with her sons, great grandsons of J&K’s tallest leader, late Sheikh Abdullah, for security reasons as they have Z category security cover.
Omar demitted the CM’s office last January and late Mufti Mohammed Sayeed assumed charge as CM in March 2015. The estate officer in the J&K Resident Commission, New Delhi, issued a notice to Payal on November 30, 2015 asking her to vacate.
Payal Abdullah didn’t respond on December 12 saying: “The house was allotted to Omar Abdullah, ex-CM of J&K and not his family, as addressed. You are requested to address the correspondence to him (Omar) at Srinagar, Jammu, being an MLA, with regard to vacating of the bungalow.”
Surprised by her adamant stand, the estate officer on June 1 issued a show cause notice to Omar asking him to explain why eviction proceedings should not be initiated for getting vacant possession of the bungalow.
A similar notice was also issued to Payal asking her to reply by June 27. In her 37-page reply on June 27, Payal says she’s been living at 7, Akbar Road since 1999 with her two sons.
“Omar Abdullah has deserted his wife and children in the premises in question,” she contends. She cites a Supreme Court judgment to claim that the ruling gives the right to a deserted wife to contest eviction proceedings from premises tenanted by her husband.
“It is an undisputed fact that Payal Abdullah has Z category security and her sons have Z+ security. The two sons are great grandsons of the late Sheikh Abdullah, who played a significant role in the accession of the state of J&K with the Union of India.
“Separatists of J&K, who also operate in New Delhi, occasionally target those who help the government of India in J&K,” she insists.
She says from 2002 to 2008, Omar was neither CM nor MP nor MLA, but remained in occupation of the premises on security grounds, threats from militants and political enemies. “In the premises in question, there are 94 security personnel to protect her and children.”
“From January 2009 to January 2015, Omar was CM and his official residence was Bungalow No 5, South Avenue Lane, New Delhi. The website of J&K Resident Commissioner shows 5, Prithviraj Road as the official residence of the J&K CM in New Delhi,” she claims.
Citing the cases of allocation of official bungalows to Priyanka Gandhi and other private citizens on security reason, Payal says for these reasons she can’t be termed by authorities as an unauthorised occupant of 7, Akbar Road.