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Mumbai: Even as the Bombay High Court is hearing pleas against the cancellation of the Wilson College's lease on its Marine Drive gymkhana, citizens have questioned the rationale behind closing the ground to the public after the dispute. A church activist has petitioned the court to direct the District Collector to open the ground to the public till the dispute is settled.
The lease on the 1.02 lakh square-meter playground, which was with the college for over a century, was transferred to the Jain International Organisation through a government resolution (GR) on March 16.
Two rival CNI groups, each claiming to be the United Church of North India Trust Association, the trust that owned the gymkhana lease, have challenged the Mumbai District Collector's cancellation of the lease. The alumni association of Wilson College has also filed an interim application, seeking inclusion in the petition.
The latest PIL, filed by Cyril Dara, Honorary Secretary of Christian Reform United People Associations, has asked that a fresh lease to the ground be given to only institutions and individuals with expertise in sports.
Dara's lawyer Suhas Deokar said, "The dispute is between the District Collector and the trust, but the ground is reserved as a public space. The ground was available to the public before the lease was cancelled. You cannot keep a public ground under lock and key."
Girgaum residents who used the ground for sports said that young people were denied access to a playground they have always used. "Generations of Girgaum residents have used the playground. It is a public ground and should not be locked up," said Sandeep Kirtikar, a businessman and a former student of Wilson School who played inter-school cricket tournaments at the ground.
On December 5, 2023, the District Collector of Mumbai ordered the acquisition of the gymkhana land, citing violations and breach of the lease agreement. The trust challenged the Collector's decision before the Maharashtra Land Revenue Tribunal, but the court confirmed the order of the Collector in an order dated March 11, 2024. Five days later, the government handed over the gymkhana for 30 years to JIO.
