Overview
- Government officials from the Land & Development Office physically entered and sealed the 15.20-acre Jaipur Polo Ground on Saturday after posting a notice declaring the site government property and warning against unauthorised occupation.
- The possession followed an L&DO eviction order dated May 20 that said the land was needed for a 'larger public purpose' but did not specify intended uses.
- A sessions court declined to stay the eviction before the takeover, and the Delhi High Court had earlier directed a district court to hear the IPA's challenge.
- The Indian Polo Association calls the action wrongful and says it will continue to press its appeal in court; the matter is listed for further hearing and the Union must file its reply on June 17.
- The case highlights a wider government effort to reclaim legacy clubs and open land in Lutyens' Delhi and raises questions about heritage, green space loss, and transparency over how reclaimed parcels will be repurposed.