Court asks HMT to pay over Rs 3.38 crore damages to LIC

District Judge H S Sharma upheld an estate officer's order to HMT Ltd to vacate its office, owned by Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) in Jeevan Tara building at Parliament Street here as its lease was not extended and also to pay Rs 3,38,10,687.

HMT Ltd had vacated its rented office in Jeevan Tara building in May 2010 as per the estates officer's January 10, 2010 order. But, it had challenged the order saying the officer had not taken into the account the Public Premises Rules while fixing the damages and that the LIC was seeking "steep increase" in the rent.

The court rejected the HMT's submission saying both LIC and HMT are government organisations, so LIC could not have any malafide intention.

"In my view, the estate officer has taken into account the documentary evidence to fix the damages. He has fixed reasonable and justified damages. The findings arrived at by the estate officer