In Brief
The appellant, a family member of deceased army personnel, was allotted a shop in a defence colony in Delhi and renewed it multiple times over 5 years. In 2007, the government policy changed to limit all shop leases to a maximum of 5 years, after which allottees could reapply after a 3-year break. The appellant's lease was not renewed. She challenged this decision, alleging fraud and violation of legitimate expectation. The Supreme Court dismissed her appeal, holding that she had no vested right to perpetual renewal. Under the original terms, renewal was discretionary year-to-year, and the policy change was reasonable, non-arbitrary, and designed fairly to balance interests between current and waiting allottees."
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