Mumbai News: Catholic Gymkhana Under Inquiry For Alleged Lease Violations On Marine Drive

The Catholic Gymkhana on Marine Drive, a 6,000-member club established in 1912 and a prominent venue for sports and social events, has been accused of allegedly violating lease conditions on its land. In October, the district collector said the gymkhana violated the lease agreement by using the premises for non-sporting activities, adding a pickleball court on the terrace without permission, disallowing online event bookings, and restricting public access to the grounds. Other charges include breach of rules on the selection of caterers/decorators contractors for non-sports events, incorrect information on mobile communication towers in the premises, and renting out the premises to third parties, causing revenue loss to the government. The inquiry against the Catholic Gymkhana comes after the government cancelled the lease of the adjacent Wilson College Gymkhana last year.

The gymkhana contested the charges and said the accusations are motivated. He said that two people connected to a disgruntled former caterer have been filing false complaints with the collector. Joaquim Reis, the senior advocate representing the gymkhana, said that despite their replies to the collector refuting the allegations, the gymkhana is being continuously targeted by the complainants. "None of the complainants have visited and seen the facilities at the gymkhana; they are flying kites," said Reis, who added that the gymkhana is challenging the charges. "We have answered the charges," said Reis. It is alleged that the complainants want the transfer of the lease from the Catholic Gymkhana to a political party. However, the party itself has not made any formal claim on the land.

In October, the office of the district collector and district magistrate, Mumbai City, issued a notice under the Maharashtra Land Revenue Act, 1966, to the gymkhana. Earlier in July, an inquiry team was appointed to investigate complaints from two people. The notice quotes the inquiry report, which says that government land is being used for non-sports events, and income from events is being used for non-sports programmes. The gymkhana has been accused of 'deliberately and intentionally' misleading the government by presenting false information about mobile towers erected on the property. Aanchal Goyal, the collector, said the gymkhana did not disclose the agreements with the mobile tower companies from 2010. The collector said that while the premium payable for the erection of the mobile tower for the period 2019-2022 was subsequently recovered from the gymkhana, documents reveal that the mobile tower was erected on the property much earlier.

The inquiry also said that the gymkhana entered into a multi-sport turf management agreement with a company through a tender process. By giving exclusive right to use leased government land to third parties, the leaseholder tried to create third-party interest in the land, and nullified the purpose for which the said government land had been granted by the lease, the report said.

The report said that a government decision in July revised the policy for renewal of gymkhanas leases by making it mandatory for the gymkhanas to provide an online facility for reserving gymkhanas for non-sports programs. However, the inquiry team said that the gymkhana took no action in this regard. This prima facie shows that the above condition of the government decision is being violated, the inquiry report said. Other violations mentioned in the report include laying a sports turf and fencing it with a net with iron rods, renovation work in the permit room, and a pickleball court. The report said that permission was not sought for this work.

Reis said the pickleball court on the terrace was set up after members' demand. "Pickleball is a sport that has become popular. How can you argue that it is not a sport?" said Reis, who added that the allegations about restricting the public from the ground were baseless, as the netting around the ground was erected to prevent sports balls from flying out of the venue and injuring people.

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