Centre Takes Possession of Historic Jaipur Polo Ground in Delhi

• Centre takes physical possession of Jaipur Polo Ground in Delhi
• Courts decline interim relief to Indian Polo Association
• Government says land required for larger public purpose
• IPA terms eviction arbitrary and vows to pursue legal remedies

GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 14th June: The Centre on Saturday took physical possession of the historic Jaipur Polo Ground in the Race Course area of the national capital after the Indian Polo Association (IPA) failed to secure relief from courts against an eviction order issued by the Land and Development Office (L&DO).

Officials of the L&DO, functioning under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, assumed control of the 15.20-acre property and pasted notices declaring the land as government property.

The notice warned that any unauthorized occupation, encroachment, construction or other illegal activity on the land would attract penal action under applicable laws.

The move follows an eviction order issued on May 20 by the L&DO, which sought possession of the land citing its requirement for a “larger public purpose.” However, the order did not specify the intended use of the property.

The Indian Polo Association, which has managed the prestigious polo ground since 1983, strongly objected to the action and described the eviction as “wrongful, arbitrary and contrary to law.”

“As the matter is sub judice and ongoing, the Association does not propose to comment further at this stage,” IPA counsel Major (Retd) Nirvikar Singh said, while reiterating that the association would pursue all available legal remedies.

The Jaipur Polo Ground, located in Lutyens’ Delhi, is regarded as one of India’s oldest polo venues and has hosted several major tournaments over the decades. The ground traces its origins to around 1930, when it was gifted by Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II of Jaipur to the Delhi Polo Club.

Sawai Man Singh II is widely remembered as one of the most accomplished polo players of his era, and the Jaipur Polo Team dominated the sport during much of the early and mid-20th century.

The legal battle intensified after the Delhi High Court directed a district court to hear the IPA’s plea seeking a stay on the eviction notice. However, the district court declined to grant interim relief.

On Friday, Additional Sessions Judge Dhirender Rana also refused to stay the execution of the eviction order, noting that similar requests had already been rejected by both the Principal District and Sessions Judge and the Delhi High Court.

The court, however, directed the Union government to file its response and listed the matter for further hearing before the vacation judge on June 17.

The government has maintained that the lease governing the property expired in March 1993 and that the IPA has continued to occupy the land without authorization since then.

The association, however, contends that a 1992 communication had provided for annual lease extensions until an alternative site was allotted. It also claims to have deposited ground rent for the period ending March 2030 through the government’s online portal earlier this year.

The Jaipur Polo Ground case is part of a broader dispute involving several prominent institutions occupying government land in Lutyens’ Delhi. The Centre has informed courts that land occupied by establishments including the Delhi Gymkhana Club is also proposed to be reclaimed for public purposes.

The development marks a significant chapter in the ongoing legal and administrative battle over some of Delhi’s most historic sporting and recreational properties.