Closed shops on Tollygunge metro station premises
The three businesses were granted licences in 1994 to operate from Metro Railway shops. Their licences were renewed until 2005. Before expiry, they sought long-term licences, but their request was rejected as the catering policy applicable to their contracts had no such provision. Challenging the eviction, they said they had operated the shops for several years and alleged discriminatory treatment, pointing out that shop rooms at some stations had been allotted on 35-year leases.
“Such differential treatment is discriminatory,” they claimed. “They cannot claim restoration of possession merely on the ground that they had been carrying on businesses in the said shop rooms for several years, particularly when their licences had expired and their prayer for grant of long-term licences had been rejected,” Justice Partha Sarathi Chatterjee held.