With eviction of Hotel Nedous, decades long legal battle comes to end

Baramulla, Aug 5: As the Gulmarg development Authority (GDA) on Monday took over the possession of the 137 year old heritage hotel Nedous, it marked the end of the decades long legal battle over its occupation.

The decision to take over the iconic hotel by the GDA was in accordance with orders issued by both the Supreme Court and the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir which declared the hotel an unauthorised occupant under the Jammu and Kashmir public premises (Eviction of unauthorised occupants) act 1988.

A few days back, the chief executive officer issued a communication which reads, “The possession of Hotel Nedous, including its appurtenant land, currently under unauthorised occupation, must be taken over without delay and formally handed over to GDA,” reads the communication issued vide no CEO/GDA/1621-25, dated 01-08-2025.

"After due examination of the relevant record and legal provisions, it has been found expedient to proceed with eviction and take over possession of the said property in compliance with the directions of the Supreme Court and High Court of Jammu & Kashmir," the eviction notice reads.

The Assistant director tourism, acting as the designated estate officer, and in presence of the magistrate and local police, oversaw the eviction process. The transfer of the premises went smoothly on Monday which was vacated by the occupants at the time of execution of the order.

Hotel Nedou’s, one of the oldest heritage properties in Gulmarg, was built in 1888 by Michael Adam Nedou, a European who discovered Gulmarg as a summer retreat for European elites and royals.

His son, Harry Nedou, married Mir Jaan, a Rajput Gujjar woman from Gulmarg. Their daughter, Akbar Jahan, later married Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah, the founder of Jammu & Kashmir's National Conference party.

The hotel remained under the possession of the Nedou family for generations. Currently, the family was holding around 98 kanals and 11 marlas of government land. However, the original leased land was just 2 kanals and 13 marlas. The lease granted to them expired in 1985 and was never renewed thereafter.

The Nedous earlier lost another heritage property, a hotel in Lahore which was acquired by the Pakistan Government after the partition and now in 2025, the family lost legal battle over the occupancy of the hotel Nedous at Gulmarg.

In 2015, the J&K government rejected their renewal request. The High Court subsequently upheld the government's decision, declaring the occupation illegal under the J&K Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorized Occupants) Act, 1988.