S. Ravindra Bhat (Open Court)-In these proceedings under Article 226 the petitioner seeks suitable directions to the respondents 1 to 4 to convey property being 1/1383-89, Nicholson Road, Kashmere Gate, Delhi. A direction that respondents 1 to 4 (hereafter referred to as the official respondents) and accept the consideration of Rs. 10,70,081/- has been made. A further direction that the official respondents should be directed not to claim the prevalent market value of the property as on the date of the petition has also been made.

2. The controversy here centres around the offer made by the official respondents to the petitioner and the private respondent (i.e. respondent Nos. 5 and 6) for purchase of evacuee property. The Displaced Persons (Compensation and Rehabilitation) Act, 1954 and the Rules framed in 1955, provided for disposal of evacuee property which was vested with the Custodian of Evacuee Property. The suit property was one such; it was acquired under Section 12 of the Act by the Central Government. On 12.5.1978, the Central Government framed a policy for disposal of evacuee property vesting in it through sale.

3. The centrality of the 1978 policy was that transfe