HC directs Abhishek Verma's wife to vacate the farmhouse

The Delhi High Court today asked Anca Maria Neacsu, the Romanian wife of businessman Abhishek Verma, to vacate a farmhouse occupied by them in south Delhi within four weeks.

A bench of justices Pradeep Nandrajog and Jayant Nath also directed Abhishek Verma's mother, Veena Verma-- a former Rajya Sabha MP-- who is presently staying in the property since 2010 to handover the house "peacefully" to the owner Nirmal Gupta.

Both Verma and his wife Anca are in jail. Verma is facing several cases lodged by CBI and Enforcement Directorate. He is also facing trial in the 2006 Naval War Room leak case.
 

"The appeal is dismissed. You (Anca) have to clear the property in four weeks time," the bench said, adding that time is granted till midnight of February 28.

"The appellant Verma's mother should file an affidavit within two weeks that she should vacate the property and hand over the vacant property peacefully," the bench said.

The court's direction came on an appeal filed by Anca, who had challenged the single judge bench order directing them to evict the farmhouse.

Anca's counsel told the court that she was staying in the house in her capacity as Director of Ganton India Pvt Ltd and was paying a monthly rent of Rs one lakh in the name of Gupta Farms, owned by Nirmal Gupta.

The counsel said Anca had entered into an oral agreement to purchase the farmhouse at Church Road for a consideration of Rs 50 crores out of which Rs 72 lakhs has been paid.

Anca was willing to perform her part of the agreement and had prepared the bank drafts which were got cancelled and cash was paid in lieu thereof, the counsel said.

However, the counsel for Gupta told the court that "in view of the regular default of payment of the agreed rent and the conduct of Anca and her husband, they were not interested in continuing the tenancy of the property and thus terminated it in September 2012".

"However, Verma's failed to handover vacant and physical possession of the property. They are unauthorised occupant of the farmhouse," Gupta's counsel added.