Officials of the Land & Development Office (L&DO) under the Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry on Saturday took physical possession of the 15.20-acre Jaipur Polo Ground in the Race Course area of the national capital, officials said.

The move follows a May 20 eviction order under which the L&DO sought possession of the land parcel, citing its need for a “larger public purpose”. The order, however, offered no details about the intended use of the land.

Court route narrows for IPA

On June 8, the Delhi High Court asked a district court to decide on a plea by the Indian Polo Association (IPA), which had sought a stay on the eviction notice. The district court later declined to grant interim relief against the order.

The IPA termed the eviction “wrongful, arbitrary and contrary to law,” and said it would pursue all available legal remedies to safeguard its rights and interests.

“As the matter is sub judice and ongoing, the Association does not propose to comment further at this stage,” said IPA counsel, Major (Retd) Nirvikar Singh.

The court process now leaves the association with legal options, but without immediate protection against the Centre taking possession of the ground.

Part of a larger land row

The L&DO has also issued eviction orders to the Race Course Club and Gymkhana Club, saying their premises were needed for a larger public purpose.

In the Delhi Gymkhana Club matter, the Delhi High Court on May 26 took note of the Centre’s submission that it would not take forcible possession of the colonial-era club by June 5. The court observed that no interim order was needed at that stage. 

 
Justice Avneesh Jhingan also refused to interfere with the Centre’s decision to terminate the perpetual lease of the 27.3-acre plot of the club in the heart of Lutyens’ Delhi. The matter has been posted for hearing at the end of July.

That gave Gymkhana members a reprieve until then, when the Centre is expected to file its response and the petitioner its rejoinder.

What happens next?

The Jaipur Polo Ground takeover shows that the Centre is moving beyond notices and court filings to actual possession in at least one case.

The common thread is the government’s push to reclaim land from longstanding clubs and associations in one of Delhi’s most valuable zones. The unanswered question is what these spaces will become once possession is taken.

(With inputs from agencies)