Court orders demolition of Shivaji Memorial Society school

The court also ordered the Society to pay a compensation of Rs 31 lakh to Arvind Zambre,owner of the land on which the school was constructed. The case was pending in the court since 1987. Judge K R Itolikar of the distrct small cause court passed the order.

Zambre is the owner of about 3 acres and 12 gunthas land at plot number 94,survey number 437/1 in Sangamwadi. During the plague epidemic in Pune in 1938,the British government took temporary possession of Zambre’s land and started health camps for plague victims.

In 1943,the government gave this land as a play ground to the All India Shri Shivaji Memorial Society on a condition that it should not be used for monetary gains. But the society allegedly started a primary school on this land,causing violation of the condition laid by the government.

The court passed an order in the favour of Society in 1995. So Zambre moved the district court. As per the district court’s order,the case again started in small cause court. Zambre’s counsel Advocate Mohan More argued that the land was given to the Society as play ground.

“There was clear condition that land should not be used for monetary gains. Still the society started a primary school here and also rented the land to a circus. Thus the condition was broken. So the school premises should be demolished and the said land should be given back to its owner,” said More.