Two-decade legal battle ends as apex court upholds owners’ eviction rights.

Supreme Court Orders L&T to Vacate ₹1,000-Crore Pali Hill Bungalow.

The Supreme Court of India has brought an end to a prolonged legal dispute by directing Larsen & Toubro Limited to vacate a prime bungalow at Pali Hill, valued at over ₹1,000 crore. The ruling concludes a case that stretched for more than 20 years over a prestigious legacy property at 54 Pali Hill Road, Bandra. The dispute arose after a lease that expired in 1970, with the company continuing in occupation for decades. When eviction proceedings were initiated in 2001, L&T attempted to block possession by purchasing a small undivided share in the property and claiming co-ownership. Courts rejected this move as a tactical attempt to defeat the rights of other owners. After conflicting lower-court rulings and dismissal of L&T’s challenge by the Bombay High Court, the Supreme Court upheld the eviction order, affirming that a tenant cannot acquire fractional ownership during litigation to avoid vacating the premises.