HC Stays Delhi Gymkhana Club’s Meeting After Nepotism Allegations

The petition alleged that children of some permanent members were awarded out-of-turn memberships.

Delhi Gymkhanan Club has been accused of favouritism and awarding out-of-turn membership to children of permanent members. 

(Photo Courtesy: www.delhigymkhana.org)

The Delhi High Court on Friday, 26, July, stayed the extraordinary general body meeting (EGM) of Delhi Gymkhana Club after a plea to stop the meeting scheduled for 4 August.

The petition alleges that the the 106-year-old club of nepotism and favouritism where children and grandchildren of permanent members have been routinely awarded out-of-turn memberships. This, the petitioners allege, has hampered the chances of those who have applies as far back as the early 1990s and are still in line for membership.

According to the plea, the EGM was meant to amend the Memorandums of Article & Association and introduce e-voting thereby circumventing subjudice matters and pending inquiries against it.

The Quint spoke with an advocate in the case who said that the club was steeped in a culture of nepotism where even at the application stage the children of some permanent members were allowed access and usage rights reserved for permanent members.

“We have observed that such applicants would also get out-of-turn memberships. According to the laws, the Club can have 5,600 permanent members and some who have applied as far back as 1992 are still waiting,” the advocate told The Quint.

“In fact one such applicant has been asked to furnish Rs 10 lakh to just keep the application alive and under consideration,” he added.

According to Hindustan Times, Justice Suresh Kait also sought the response of the Centre and the Gymkhana Club on the plea by one Sanjeev Mohan Ahluwalia, who alleged a prevalent system of favouritism in the functioning of the Club.

According to his plea, Alhuwalia had deposited Rs 5,000 in 1993 for a permanent membership to the club. However, in 2017, he received a letter from the Club seeking Rs 7,45,000 as additional application fee to continue being in line as an applicant.

The Gymkhana Club has refuted all allegations made in the plea.

Gymkhana Club secretary Ashish Khanna was quoted by Hindustan Times as saying, “We refute all allegations that have been made against us. The last EGM was conducted in 2000 and our sole purpose of conducting the EGM now is because we want to restructure the organisational setup of the Club in accordance with the Companies Act, which was introduced in 2013.

“With regards to the allegations by the individual, we would want to ask why the person is so interested in being a member of the club if he alleges fraud here. We have 7,000 members and 50 percent of them are government officers, including IPS and IAS officers.”