'How can we vacate in two days?' Manu Bhaker's coach criticises home demolition notice

National pistol shooting coach Samaresh Jung, who guided Manu Bhaker and Sarabjot Singh to bronze medals at the Paris Olympics, returned home to the disheartening news that his house and locality are scheduled for demolition in two days.

Jung, an Olympian, was given the notice along with other residents of the Khyber Pass locality in the Civil Lines area of the national capital.

The notice was issued by the Land and Development Office (LNDO) of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, which claimed that the land on which the Khyber Pass colony is located belongs to the Ministry of Defence and is therefore illegal.

Speaking with IANS, the Arjuna Awardee said he doesn't know why this demolition drive is taking place.

"It is in their plan and I don't even know about it. They have declared the entire colony illegal..." Jung said it was announced last evening that they have to vacate the area within 2 days.

"My family has been living here for the last 75 years, since the 1950s. We went to court but our petition was rejected," he told IANS.

He further said it is really difficult to pack things up in two days and vacate the house.

"We just want some time, it is not possible that you announced today and tomorrow we vacate the house and leave," Jung said.

Earlier, Jung, who won five gold, one silver and one bronze in the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, took to social media on Thursday, 1 August evening to express his anguish and said it was shocking that the Land & Development Office made a haphazard announcement of demolition with a notice of just two days.

"After the euphoria of Indian shooters winning two Olympic medals, I, the team coach, just returned home from the Olympics to the disheartening news that my house and locality is to be demolished in 2 days," Samaresh posted on X on Thursday night.

Jung, a former Asian Games bronze medallist and a participant at the Beijing 2008 Olympics said as an Olympian, the least he expects is a dignified exit while also appealing for "at least 2 months to vacate" along with a clarity on the matter.

"There has been no proper information or notice. How can families living here since 75 years vacate in 2 days? It is shocking that @LDO_GoI makes a haphazard announcement of demolition with a notice of 2 days, without any clarity of the exact area to be demolished," he added.

"Being an Olympian and Arjuna Awardee, least I expect, along with community, is a dignified exit. I appeal for clarity on the matter and at least 2 months to vacate properly," Jung concluded.

He also tagged Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya in his post, along with Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, Indian Olympic Association chief PT Usha, Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs Manohar Lal Khattar and IOA vice president and fellow shooter Gagan Narang, who is currently in Paris with the Indian contingent as the Chef de Mission.

A large-scale demolition drive at Khyber Pass in Delhi’s Civil Lines area began last month.

As per the ruling of the Delhi High Court dated 9 July, the land initially belonged to the Ministry of Defence. A notice was issued on 1July, requiring residents to vacate by 4 July.

This was challenged, and the court granted permission for the demolition to go ahead on 3 July, in an urgent hearing, as long as the proper procedures were followed.

In the concluding hearing on 9 July, the court ruled that the petitioners had not produced any documentation attesting to their land ownership.