Temporary stay ‘out of love’: Delhi court evicts couple from widowed mother’s home

A 65-year-old widow in Delhi has been granted a court order to evict her son and daughter-in-law from a room in her home, where they had briefly resided under the assumption of paying Rs 4,000 per month rent and providing care. The district court rejected their appeal, ruling that their own written admission established they were temporary occupants.

Judge Sumit Dalal explained that the couple admitted in their signed joint statement that they were permitted to reside in the room "temporarily" out of love and affection, making them licensees whose permission could be revoked at the widow's discretion. The woman purchased the 48-square-yard property in Qutub Vihar Phase II in June 2017 for Rs 11.75 lakh.

She claimed she allowed them to stay temporarily, but they later stopped paying rent and denied her requests to leave, citing conflicts and abuse in May 2024. A police complaint and legal notice followed in June 2024. The trial court ordered the couple to vacate within seven days, which they challenged. The district court dismissed their plea, noting they had signed the written statement admitting temporary occupation.

The court also rejected their arguments that the property was agricultural land and lacked jurisdiction, finding the dispute concerned a room in a built-up residential property with no evidence of agricultural use.