Indian Polo Association moves court seeking access to Jaipur Polo Ground for turf upkeep

The association on Wednesday moved the Patiala House Court seeking permission to access the 15.2-acre ground behind Safdarjung Tomb for routine maintenance, warning that the specialised polo pitch could suffer lasting damage if left unattended while the eviction case remains pending.

The application was placed before Additional Sessions Judge Shefali Tandon, who listed the matter for Thursday after counsel for the Centre sought time to obtain instructions.

Appearing for the IPA, senior advocate Akshay Makhija urged the court to allow limited access to the association’s staff and contractors solely for preservation work. He argued that the Jaipur Polo Ground was not an ordinary open space but a specialised sporting facility developed over years for polo and allied equestrian activities.

“It comprises a carefully maintained grass surface that requires continuous mowing, irrigation, levelling and upkeep by trained ground staff,” he submitted before the court.

According to the plea, interruption of regular maintenance could rapidly degrade the turf, causing long-term damage to the sporting infrastructure and potentially rendering the venue unsuitable for polo and other equestrian activities.

The association has also sought directions restraining officials of the Land and Development Office (L&DO) from demolishing, uprooting or otherwise disturbing any part of the Jaipur Polo Ground in a manner detrimental to the sport.

In its application, the IPA requested that the court permit its employees, contractors, ground staff and authorised personnel "reasonable access" to the venue for the limited purpose of carrying out routine maintenance and preservation of the polo turf and associated sporting infrastructure.

The latest move comes against the backdrop of an escalating legal battle over one of central Delhi's most prominent sporting properties. The Centre took possession of the ground on June 13 after a court declined to stay an eviction order issued on May 20. The order had directed the IPA to vacate the property by June 4.

A vacation Bench of the Patiala House Courts on June 12 refused to halt execution of the eviction order while hearing the association's challenge under provisions of the Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Act, 1971.

The matter had earlier travelled through the Delhi High Court, which disposed of the association's petition and directed the district court to decide its plea seeking a stay on the eviction proceedings.

The dispute over Jaipur Polo Ground has drawn attention beyond the sporting community as it forms part of a wider exercise by the Centre to reclaim government-owned properties in the capital. In recent months, authorities have also acted against premises occupied by institutions such as the United News of India and the Delhi Gymkhana Club.

Government authorities have maintained that the land is required for public purposes and strategic requirements. Occupants of such properties, however, have argued that these institutions perform important sporting, heritage and public functions and should not be viewed merely as leasehold assets.

For now, the legal contest over possession continues. But before the larger questions of ownership and public use are settled, the immediate issue before the court is whether the country's premier polo venue can continue to be maintained while the battle over its future plays out.