Sports complex closure for Games: Hearing on plea delayed

A matter related to the closure of the Siri Fort Sports Complex in south Delhi as certain events of the Commonwealth Games are to be hosted there was Monday referred by a Delhi High Court bench to another court.

The bench of Justice A.K. Sikri and Justice Reva Khetrapal transferred the matter to another bench as counsel Ruchi Sindwani, who appeared for Lieutenant Governor Tejender Khanna, happened to be a relative of one of the sitting judges.

The matter could not be heard on an earlier occasion as well as the two judges who were to take up the matter were the members of the sports complex.

The petition was moved by members of the sports complex challenging the decision of its secretary to close it down from Aug 16 till the Games. The complex will host events like badminton and squash during the Oct 3-14 sporting event
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Counsel R.K. Saini, appearing for the petitioner, said that the matter will come up for hearing Sep 8.

Atul Wadhera, a Supreme Court lawyer who filed the petition, alleged that the closure of the complex was unjustified as it denied facilities to hundreds of its members.

There are only two events to be held for the Commonwealth Games and there are about 29 activities in the complex due to which people come here on a daily basis," Wadhera said in the petition.

Due to the decision, retired people and children have also been affected as they have been denied entry to use a children's park in the complex.

People are not allowed to jog and play football in the ground. For the sake of two events you are stopping people from availing facilities and participating in other activities," said the petition.

It also sought immediate opening of the complex as an interim measure allowing people access to the jogging tracks, children's park and ground for football.