Jung, an Olympian himself, received the notice alongside other inhabitants of the Khyber Pass locality in the Civil Lines area of the national capital.
The Land and Development Office (LNDO) of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs issued the notice, asserting that the land on which the Khyber Pass colony is situated is the property of the Ministry of Defence, rendering the settlement illegal.
In an interview with IANS, the Arjuna Awardee expressed his bewilderment regarding the reasons behind this demolition drive.
“It is in their plan and I don’t even know about it. They have declared the entire colony illegal…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 said they have been asked to vacate the area in the next two days.
“We just want some time, it is not possible that you announced today and tomorrow we vacate the house and leave,” Jung said.
Jung, a decorated athlete who won five gold, one silver and one bronze medal in the 2006 Commonwealth Games held in Melbourne, expressed his distress on social media platforms on Thursday evening.
He found it appalling that the Land & Development Office issued an abrupt demolition notice, providing a mere two days’ warning.
“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.
In his social media post, he also tagged several prominent figures, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Indian Olympic Association chief PT Usha, Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs Manohar Lal Khattar and the IOA vice president and fellow shooter Gagan Narang, who is currently serving as the Chef de Mission for the Indian contingent in Paris.
The demolition drive at Khyber Pass in Delhi’s Civil Lines area, which commenced last month, has been the subject of recent legal proceedings. The Delhi High Court, in its ruling on July 9, determined that the land in question was originally under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Defence.
Residents of the area were served with a notice on July 1, instructing them to vacate the premises by July 4. However, this notice was contested, and an urgent hearing was held on July 3, during which the court allowed the demolition to proceed, provided that the necessary procedures were adhered to.
The final hearing, which took place on July 9, concluded with the court’s decision that the petitioners had failed to provide any evidence substantiating their claim to the land.
