Jagatjit Club attachment order invalid, court told
The historic Jagatjit Club in Kapurthala has filed a third party objection with the District Court against its impending auction and sought a stay on the proceedings.
In the objection petition submitted to the court on April 17 — the day the Kapurthala district administration sought a stay on the club’s auction — Sanjeev Puri, secretary of the club executive committee, sought a recall of the property attachment order.
The petition stated the attachment order had no legal value, as a notice was not sent to the club. It termed the proceedings “totally wrong, illegal and invalid”. The petition also stated the club had been functional for a long time and has hundreds of members. The next hearing on the objection petition will be held on April 23.
The club’s 13 kanal 14 marla property had been attached in an ongoing case. An execution was filed by a Phagwara resident seeking enhancement of compensation for his over 8 kanal property, which was acquired in 2002 for four-laning of the a road. The District and Sessions Judge, Kapurthala, on April 2 had ordered the auction of the club’s land for the recovery of the aforesaid amount. Notably, a notice regarding the auction of the club was also put up on April 18. The club is due for sale on May 9, as per the court orders.
The club’s petition stated that, “The present objector Jagatjit Club came to know about the attachment and sale of property i.e. Jagatjit Club when the news got published in newspapers. No notice in this regard was sent to the club, which is totally wrong, illegal, invalid, void, inoperative and thus the said order of attachment has no legal value and is liable to be recalled. The decree holder was required to implead the club in the execution proceedings, but neither it was impleaded as party nor was it was served with any notice in the execution proceedings even before attachment and the said order was taken at the back of the present objector.”
The petition added, “Kapurthala was a princely state and Jagatjit Club was donated and established by erstwhile Maharaja Jagatjit Singh about 100 years ago and the club has continued to function here ever since.”
The club members said at present it had about 200 members, including doctors, professors, businessmen, retired officials and teachers. The club houses an operational billiards room, with a heritage billiard table, indoor badminton court (formerly an Opera House), card room, gym, library (with books from Maharaja’s collection) and an in-house kitchen.
Club executive committee vice-president Dr Sandeep Bhola, a member for over 25 years, said, “It is a heritage building, which was given to the people of Kapurthala by its rulers to be used as a club. It’s still in use. The case is indeed has come as a shock for the members. We place our hope in subsequent proceedings.”
Punjab