JOIN USThe Bengaluru Urban district administration on Tuesday took over the ownership of the nearly 140-year-old Bangalore Club after the club authorities failed to furnish the title deed showing ownership of the property.
The club stands on 13-acres of land on Residency Road.
The order was passed by Mahesh Babu, assistant commissioner (AC), Bengaluru north sub-division, after the club authorities failed to give proper replies to the repeated notices by the district administration.
The order states the club has been functioning on defence land for over a century. Sources said notices were issued from time to time and as recently as June 24 asking secretary Col (retd) K D Murthy to appear before the AC with all documents.
The documents he produced showed the land belonged to the Military Establishment during the British rule, which had set up the Bangalore United Services Club providing social, cultural, sporting, recreational and other facilities to defence forces stationed here. In 1946, it was taken over by the “Indian Component” of its membership and renamed Bangalore Club.
The documents showed the property number was 877. But the grant of the land itself was shown as number 211 in the register of grants. “However, no such order with specific property number or survey number of Ulsoor as specified in the revenue/survey records has been furnished,” said the AC.
Babu said he had repeatedly sought from the club government records showing grant of the land, its origin, mode of conveyance, right title and interest derived.
While passing the order, the AC maintained that the BBMP should cancel the Khatha made in the name of Bangalore Club and directed the Tahsildar (Bengaluru North) to take necessary action and report compliance.
When contacted, Bangalore Club president G V Radhakrishnan said: “Bangalore Club owns the land. We purchased the land in 1872 from one Subraiah Shetty for Rs 18,000. We have the katha that is over 100 years old. We have the encumbrance certificate that is 130 years old. Since then, we also have the sale deed which is in our name. The land is not given to us for free by any private party or government or any other institution. It is our land, we have paid for it and the property papers are in our name. We have communicated this to the AC (Revenue). The case is in the court. The statements that we don’t own the club are hearsay. We do not want to respond to hearsay. We have received nothing in writing from the government about the ownership.”