Mumbai: The Bombay high court on Wednesday stayed BMC’s decision to take back possession of a playground at Mumbai Central which Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) said was leased out to it in 1928.The HC was hearing YMCA’s plea seeking urgent intervention, fearing immediate loss of possession of Abdul Rehman Sufi Maidan or Jhoola Maidan, formerly known as Willingdon ground, and the gymnasium built on it in 1964 following BMC nod.The civic counsel said the BMC was due to take possession of the playground and gymnasium on Wednesday as the local corporator had received a complaint.The HC bench of Justices A S Gadkari and Kamal Khata, expressing surprise at the civic action, orally commented that BMC’s move appears to be at the instance of the corporator. When the bench asked the BMC counsel why it wanted to take the property from YMCA and who it wanted to give it to, there was no reply.The BMC will file a reply in two weeks.The issue arose in March 2026, said the YMCA, when the BMC issued a notice asking how it was in possession of the gymnasium building and alleged that the premises were not properly maintained. The YMCA said it replied to the notice, but on July 21, sans a hearing, the BMC issued a letter stating that it would take possession of the gymnasium in seven days.On August 7, the BMC sent a team to take possession of the premises, advocate Joel Carlos for YMCA submitted while seeking a stay. YMCA said a few policemen also visited and said possession would be taken on or before August 12 by the BMC with help of the police department, the petition claimed.The petition also stated that the BMC had given Willingdon ground to YMCA on lease on March 19, 1928, and it has been paying rent since then.In 2007, when the BMC said it had lost the rent collection document, the YMCA provided it. It did so again in 2012, when BMC wrote to ask about the construction of the gymnasium building as it claimed to have lost the documents, the petition stated.In 2017, the YMCA said, it obtained permission for installing an electricity meter, and in 2021, it informed the BMC of having completed structural repairs to the building.The YMCA said as an organisation, which since 1875 has been working to uplift the underprivileged people, it promoted sports, physical fitness and youth development activities and even sent several athletes for national level competitions, helping the underprivileged secure jobs under the sports quota.
