Galloping benefits

The long standing dispute between the Royal Western India Turf Club (RWITC) and BJR’s, the owners of the Gallops restaurant on its Mahalaxmi property, is heading for an out-of-court settlement, it was reported in the local media in mid-April. The story first appeared in the Afternoon Despatch and Courier of April 13, 2010 referring to the supposed terms of the deal.

In the course of the next two days allegations and denials were vociferously expressed in the leading English dailies. Among the several issues for which the present Turf Club committee has been faulted was its alleged agreement to "gradually waive two crore rupees out of the Rs 3.25 crore that BJR’s owed the Club.” But RWITC chairman Vivek Jain explained to the Hindustan Times that the committee had acted "in the interest of the Club.”

"All of us realized that such a settlement would benefit our members and the restaurant’s patrons alike. Therefore an in-principle settlement was reached,” Jain was quoted in The Times of India of April 15.

Gallops restaurant at the Turf Club

Tracing the antecedents of the dispute, the Times write-up mentioned that the Turf Club had leased land from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation till 2013 and had sublet a structure to BJR’s to run the restaurant and banquet hall in 1986 and subsequently in 2008. Shortly thereafter they were served with notices regarding "irregularities in areas being run by the conductors.” Last year BJR’s filed a suit claiming tenancy on the grounds that they have been operating the restaurant for 23 years at a stretch. In response, RWITC terminated its contract with BJR’s and while fighting a legal battle, restricted entry at Gallops to only members or signed-in guests, leaving out a long list of patrons, celebrities and dignitaries. The small causes court had ordered a status quo on entry restrictions which made the RWITC move the High Court with an arbitration petition.