Mumbai's Wilson College Gymkhana changed to Jain Gymkhana amid case pending in HC

The Wilson College Gymkhana in Mumbai has been renamed as the Jain Gymkhana, even as the historic college continues its legal battle to retain control over its sports ground. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis attended a ceremony on January 10 during which the Jain International Organisation (JIO) renamed the heritage-listed clubhouse, according to The Free Press Journal.

The issue is currently under consideration by the Bombay High Court, which is hearing two petitions filed by members of the Protestant Christian community challenging the transfer of the land’s lease to JIO. The 1.02 lakh-square-foot playground had earlier been leased to the United Church of Northern India Trust Association (UCNITA) and managed by the John Wilson Education Society, which runs Wilson College. However, following allegations that the lease terms were violated, the Maharashtra government cancelled the lease, after which the district collector took possession of the land on December 5, 2023.

UCNITA subsequently approached the Maharashtra Revenue Tribunal, but its appeal was dismissed on March 11, 2024, upholding the collector’s decision. This led to competing claims by two UCNITA factions, both of which moved the Bombay High Court challenging the lease cancellation. The case remains pending, the Wire reported.

Jain spiritual leader Acharya Naypadmasagar Suri Maharaj announced the inauguration through a video message, during which he expressed gratitude to the chief minister. He stated that Mumbai’s Jain community had finally received its own sports club alongside gymkhanas associated with other religious communities in the city. He also urged members of the Jain community to actively participate in the upcoming municipal elections, as reported by *The Free Press Journal*.

UCNITA spokesperson Lal Bahadur Kamble said that during the previous hearing, the High Court had directed both sides to maintain the status quo. He alleged that despite this order, the opposing party began cleaning the ground on January 7. The issue was mentioned before the court the following day, and the next hearing has been scheduled for January 14. Kamble added that the involvement of the chief minister in the ceremony limited the options available to the petitioners at the time.

Advocate Rajan Jaykar, a Wilson College alumnus who filed an intervention application in the case, maintained that cleaning the ground did not amount to contempt of court. Meanwhile, a JIO spokesperson said that while a signboard had been installed and the premises cleaned, no construction activity had taken place.