Delhi HC allows Apollo Hospital to amend lease, levy parking charges

Delhi HC permits Apollo Hospital to amend lease with MCD, enabling it to levy parking charges on vehicles in its premises; petition against “Free Parking” notices disposed.

The Delhi High Court on Monday allowed Apollo Hospital in southeast Delhi’s Sarita Vihar to amend its lease deed with the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), thereby granting permission to levy charges for vehicles parked in the designated parking area.

In the petition, advocate Lalit Bhasin on behalf of the hospital, had asserted that the notices were issued without prior warning. (Shutterstock)

A bench of justice Mini Pushkarna passed the order while dealing with the hospital’s petition, challenging MCD’s decision of installing a signage of “Free Parking” outside the hospital’s entry gate and the subsequent show-cause notices.

In the petition, advocate Lalit Bhasin on behalf of the hospital, had asserted that the notices were issued without prior warning.

The division bench of the high court in November 2023 had delivered a verdict in Pacific Development Corporation, ruling that parking fees can be charged by entities in whose premises the parking lot falls. The hospital, therefore, argued that it was entitled to rely on and benefit from that ruling.

However, in its status report dated September 5, 2025, the MCD, represented by Siddharth Gupta, stated that it was essential for the hospital to amend its lease deed with the corporation, noting that a similar requirement had come up in the case of Pacific Mall as well.

Considering the submission, the court permitted the hospital to amend its deed with the MCD. “At this stage, learned counsel for the MCD submits that the lease deed needs to be amended. Accordingly, liberty is granted to the petitioner to get its lease deed with the MCD amended, if so required. Noting the aforesaid, the present writ petition is disposed of,” the court said in its order.