MUMBAI: The Mumbai City Collector has submitted an inquiry report to the state government on alleged violations of lease conditions by the Catholic Gymkhana on prime land at South Mumbai’s Marine Drive.
The turf and netting were installed to promote contemporary sports for members and athletes,” according to a submission signed by general manager Ivor Pacheco and general secretary Evette Malgi. The gymkhana management has refuted the allegations. The contracts with KheloMore and Maithilee were purely management and operational service-provider licenses, retaining ultimate possession, ownership, and control with the gymkhana. The construction in the club is as per the lease agreement and due permission from the BMC and other authorities. The collector raised the demand to pay mobile tower-related dues just this week and they will be paid next week although a related case is ongoing in the high court. As far as the alleged religious discrimination in the members’ fees is concerned, this has always been the case and the government had never raised any objections.”
The inquiry was initiated in July 2025 on a complaint from Republican Party of India (A) worker Sandesh Mohite. Among the key objections in the report is that an open area measuring 1,068 sq m in front of the building was converted into a multi-sports football-cum-cricket turf enclosed by metal frames and nylon netting. “The complaints were malicious and instigated by a disgruntled former contractor after its contract expired in February 2025 and it failed to win a subsequent open tender.
No written permission for this was obtained, according to the report by Collector Aanchal Goyal. The report states that the gymkhana’s lease will be renewed pending “state policy directions regarding structural regularizations, penalty assessment, and punitive action for lease term violations”. Mohite said,”We are not aware of the report but I hope the state government will take appropriate action and terminate the lease of the gymkhana. Joaquim Reis, president of the gymkhana said, “I have not seen the report but we have been operating the gymkhana following the lease conditions.
