Amar Singh Club management serves eviction notice to CRPF
Srinagar, Apr 15: In a significant development, the management committee of the Amar Singh Club Srinagar has served an eviction notice to the Commanding Officer of 79 Battalion CRPF Srinagar.
In its eviction notice, Secretary Amar Singh Club Srinagar, Nasir Hamid Khan has written to the Commanding Officer CRPF Srinagar that the 79th Battalion was "unauthorisedly" occupying the Club Guest House and land measuring 108000 sqfts and charging room rent from guests using the Club Guest House.
"This action, if true, is highly inappropriate and violates various laws. The unauthorised occupation of Club property has been brought to the notice of higher authorities from time to time," the notice reads.
It further reads that since no action was taken in the matter so far, the Managing Committee of Amar Singh Club Srinagar has decided to initiate legal proceedings in the matter.
"The Guest House of Amar Singh Club Srinagar and adjacent land was under the occupation of the security forces during the period 1990-2015 and to offer rooms to visiting members from affiliated Clubs across the Country," the notice reads.
As per the notice, the J&K Government in 2015, on the repeated requests of the Club management, provided alternate accommodation to the 79 Battalion of the CRPF and relocated them in the Cricket Stadium and in Royal Apartment Building at Rajbagh and the Club premises were duly vacated by the 79 Bn CRPF in the year 2015.
"But the arrears on account of electricity and water were left unsettled," it reads.
The Secretary Amar Singh Club in the notice has further claimed that the Guest House premises were refurbished and renovated jointly by the Club Management and R&B Department including installation of fresh linen, curtains, blankets, TV Sets and fridges in all the rooms for which purpose a substantial amount of Club and Government funds were spent in 2015.
"The Club Guest House became operational in the period 2016- 2019 and the Club was in a position to offer rooms to visiting members from affiliated Clubs across the Country," it reads.
However, as per the official communication, in 2018, on the "request" made by the then Deputy Commissioner Srinagar Dr Syed Abid Rasheed Shah and also a nominated member of the Adhoc Managing Committee of the club, land measuring 08 kanals was temporarily provided for stationing of 13th Battalion of CRPF deployed for Amarnath Yatra duty for a period of two months.
"On the vacation of premises by the 13th Battalion CRPF in October- November 2018, the 79th Battalion of CRPF - unauthorisedly and without any sanction, forcibly reoccupied the Club land," it reads.
Referring to the official records, the Secretary Amar Singh Club Srinagar in the notice has said that the records of the Club reveal that just before the abrogation of Article 370 on August 3 of 2019, the then Divisional Commissioner Kashmir "appears to have” telephonically instructed the Club Secretary who was functioning on adhoc basis "to temporarily allow the CRPF use five rooms of the Club Guest House."
"However, when the Club Secretary arrived in the Club on the 8th of August, 2019, he reported that rooms including the Dining Hall and Kitchen along with all furniture and fixtures of the Club Guest House had been taken over by the 79 Bn CRPF," the notice reads.
Secretary has stated in the notice that, as per the Constitution of the Club, only the General Body is authorised to take decisions with regard to the property belonging to the Club and even the Managing Committee, being the Governing Body of the Club was not authorised to take decisions in this regard without the explicit approval of the General Body.
"Thus verbal instructions conveyed by any authority not competent under the Club Constitution to issue such directions would not pass the basic test of judicial scrutiny," the notice reads.
The notice reads that in terms of the detailed report of SSP, Srinagar as mentioned in letter No. GB-R/A.S.Club/CKR/3399-4OI dated November 23 of 2020 addressed to the Director General of Police by the Deputy Inspector General of Police, CKR, Srinagar, 13 rooms, Kitchen and Dining Hall of Amar Singh Club Guest House are under the occupation of CRPF 79th Bn since August 4, 2019 to till date, besides the land measuring 108000 sqfts on the left side of the entrance of Amar Singh Club are also under the occupation of the said CRPF unit.
"The re-occupation of 108000 sqfts of land belonging to the Club was an unauthorised and illegal action is clear from the perusal for the occupation certificates issued. The first certificate dated November 7 of 2020 addressed to the SSP J&K Police, and Srinagar states that only 13 rooms, Kitchen and dining hall are occupied, August 4 of 2019," it reads.
However it reads that the occupation certificate issued in March, 2022 mentions that land measuring 108000 sqft of Amar Singh Club has been occupied by this unit since August 4 of 2019.
"It is apparent from the perusal of the above certificates of occupation that the act of occupying the land measuring 108000 sqft by the 79Bn CRPF in October-November 2018 was without any authority or sanction.
"An attempt is being made to obfuscate facts to cover up the illegality of the act of grabbing Club land by merging it with the taking over of the Club Guest House on August 4 of 2019. The legal validity of the action is itself questionable," it reads.
The notice reads that the communication dated November 20 of 2018 addressed to DGP by the then Club Secretary clearly mentions that "immediately after withdrawal by the company of CRPF, the premises have been occupied by a company of CRPF 79 Bn without any permission of the Club".
"As on date, the arrears of electricity for the Club Guest House have accumulated to a staggering Rs 1.02 crore for which a disconnection notice has been issued in March 2025 by the Power Development Department," it reads.
The club management has not received any rental charges for the Club Guest House under occupation since 2019 and land measuring 108000 sqft, it reads.
"It has now been brought to the notice of the undersigned that the Club Guest House is being unauthorisedly used as a guest house for CRPF and even room rentals are being charged," the notice reads.
It reads that the continued unauthorised occupation of Club premises by the CRPF has resulted in huge financial losses not only to the Club but to the Government as well.
"While the Club is facing a monthly loss of Rs 8.50 lakhs on account of rentals receivable from the rooms in the Guest House, the Government is also facing a monthly loss in excess of Rs 1.02 lacs on GST receivable," it reads.
The Secretary Amar Singh Club has said that in addition to the above losses, the Club is also entitled to be compensated for the damages caused to the furniture, fixtures, TV Sets and fridges, bedding/ linen, wear and tear of fittings.
"Apart from the financial losses, the occupation of the Club property has also incapacitated the Club Management in providing residential accommodation to visiting members from some of the most prestigious affiliated clubs across the Country and also impeded future affiliations," it reads.
It reads that “the act of accepting properties provided by the Government for relocation at Royal Apartments, Rajbagh and cricket Stadium Sonwar, in lieu of vacating the Club premises and then subsequently resorting to grabbing Club land and Guest House does not reflect well for the image of the country's premier internal security and combat force.”
"Since no tangible action has been taken in the matter even though a period of more than one year has elapsed since the matter was brought to the notice of the concerned authorities, the Managing Committee is serving this notice of eviction from club property and also initiating legal action in this regard," the notice reads.
It reads that the proceedings being initiated were for vacating Club property and a claim of Rs 10 crores on account of rentals for the Guest House and land, damages to Club furniture and fixtures, unauthorised occupation, unpaid electricity, water and other charges.
Inspector General Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) Srinagar sector Pawan Sharma when contacted said that whenever CRPF is called to any state, all the arrangements are to be managed by Government.
"Wherever the CRPF is deployed or where they are to be stationed, these are all under the prerogative of the State Government," IG CRPF told Greater Kashmir.
He said the CRPF Battalions are deployed as per the requirement of the State and are allotted space accordingly.
"We have not occupied any place forcibly. We will respond to the notice properly. If we are provided alternate accommodation, we will shift there. We don't have any issue with that. We came here at the request of the government," he said.
