The Indian Polo Association (IPA) on Wednesday moved a Delhi court, seeking access to the Jaipur Polo Ground for carrying out necessary maintenance and preservation of the polo turf to prevent its deterioration as the court case over the ground drags on.
The application was moved before additional sessions judge Shefali Tandon of Patiala House Courts, which listed the matter for June 18 (Thursday) after the centre’s counsel requested time to seek instructions.
Appearing for IPA, senior advocate Akshay Makhija urged the court to allow the association’s staff and contractors limited access to the ground to preserve the polo pitch while its appeal against the eviction order remains pending.
“The ground is a specialised sporting facility developed and maintained for conducting polo and allied equestrian activities. It comprises a carefully maintained grass surface which requires continuous mowing, irrigation, levelling and upkeep by trained ground staff,” he argued.
According to the plea, the turf could rapidly deteriorate without regular maintenance, potentially causing long-term damage to the sporting infrastructure and rendering the ground unsuitable for polo and other equestrian activities.
IPA sought to restrain officials of the Union government’s Land and Development Office (L&DO) from demolishing, uprooting or disturbing the physical structure of the Jaipur Polo Ground, located behind Safdarjung Tomb, in any manner detrimental to the sport of polo.
“The court may permit the appellant, its employees, ground staff, contractors and authorised personnel reasonable access to the Jaipur Polo Ground for the limited purpose of carrying out routine and necessary maintenance, preservation and upkeep of the polo turf and associated sporting infrastructure,” the plea stated.
The plea comes less than a week after the Centre took possession of the 15.2-acre property on June 13 following a court order declining to stay the eviction.
On June 12, a vacation bench of the Patiala House Courts refused to stay the execution of the eviction order issued on May 20 which directed the Indian Polo Association (IPA) to vacate the 15.20-acre ground by June 4. The district court was hearing the matter after the Delhi High Court remanded it, directing the lower court to decide the association’s stay application.
The district court was hearing the plea, filed under Section 9(3) of the Public Premises (Eviction of unauthorised occupants) Act, 1971, after it was sent back for adjudication by the Delhi High Court, which, on June 8, had disposed of the petition with a direction to the district and sessions judge to decide on the IPA’s application for a stay on the eviction notice by June 10.
The Jaipur Polo Ground is among a series of high-profile properties that the Centre has sought to reclaim in recent months. The exercise follows action against the United News of India (UNI) premises and the Delhi Gymkhana Club, both of which occupy government-owned land in central Delhi.
Government authorities have maintained that the land is required for public purposes and strategic requirements.
Occupants, meanwhile, have argued that the properties serve important institutional, sporting and heritage functions and should not be treated as ordinary leasehold assets.
