Maharashtra club asked to shut golf course after video of Anil Ambani taking a stroll goes viral

Civic authorities at the popular hill station Mahabaleshwar have asked a private club to shut down its golf course ground after a video of industrialist Anil Ambani taking a walk there went viral on social media.

Ambani who is in Mahabaleshwar along with his wife Tina and children was seen taking an evening walk at the golf course recently despite the lockdown-like restrictions in the state not allowing any such activity, sources said.

The notice issued by Mahabaleshwar Council chief officer Pallavi Patil warned of action under the Disaster Management Act, Indian Penal Code, and Epidemic Diseases Act if the establishment does not bar people from coming there for morning or evening walks during the ongoing restrictions.

"A video of Anil Ambani along with some family members taking a walk at the ground went viral on social media. After verifying the video, we slapped a notice on The Club, which owns the ground, instructing them to bar the entry of people coming for morning and evening walks," Patil said.

The ground has been closed and the entry of people has been barred after the notice was issued, she said.

The 11-hole golf course from the British era, set amidst a deep and evergreen forest is a serene spot amid the hustle and bustle of the iconic hill station, a resident said.

An official said the Ambanis arrived in Mahabaleshwar much before the recent coronavirus-induced restrictions came into force and have been living in a bungalow here.

Located about 120 km southwest of Pune and 280 km from Mumbai, Mahabaleshwar is a vast plateau bound by valleys on all sides. It is the source of the Krishna river that flows across Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.

Known for its captivating beauty, Mahabaleshwar boasts of a calm breeze at all times, vantage points offering stunning views of hills and valleys and plenty of strawberries to gorge on.