Coach of Manu Bhaker and Sarabjot Singh, Samresh Jung, Faces Demolition Notice on Return from Paris Olympics
Residents of Delhi's Khyber Pass Area Ordered to Vacate Amid Legal Battle Over Alleged Illegal Constructions
Samresh Jung, coach of Olympic medallists Manu Bhaker and Sarabjot Singh, received a notice to demolish his house when he returned from the Paris Olympics on Friday. Olympian and Arjuna Award winner Jung's house is in Delhi's Khyber Pass area of the Civil Lines. He has received the notice along with other residents of the region. The Land and Development Office (LNDO), a subsidiary of the Ministry of Housing, has issued a notice to the residents, stating that the area and land on which the area has been developed is owned by the Ministry of Defence.
The LNDO has said that the houses and other structures built in the Khyber Pass area have been constructed illegally. Talking to the media, Samresh Jung said, “This is in their plan and I am not even aware of it. They have declared the entire colony illegal. The area residents were informed about the demolition drive only last night, and now they have only two days to vacate the entire colony. My family has been living here for the last 75 years since the 1950s. We went to court but our plea was rejected.”
Elaborating on the difficulties of evacuating the houses in just two days, Jung said it was impossible to do everything in such a short time. "You want to run a demolition drive, but it should be run properly and people should be given time. How can a person vacate his house in just one day?" he said. Samaresh Jung represented India at the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games and won five gold, one silver and one bronze medal.
The demolition in the Khyber Pass area began last month, and several legal proceedings are underway simultaneously. Residents were served a notice on July 1, asking them to vacate the area by July 4. However, residents challenged the notice, which delayed the demolition drive by a few days. In the final hearing on July 9, the court concluded that the resident petitioners failed to provide any evidence that the land belonged to them and refused to stay the demolition action.