High Court Stays BMC Eviction of YMCA Gym at Agripada Maidan

The High Court on Wednesday, August 12, 2026, stayed an eviction operation by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) against the YMCA gymnasium and traditional wrestling arena at Abdul Rehman Sufi Maidan, formerly Willingdon Ground, in Agripada. The court's order arrived around 1:30 pm, halting a unilateral takeover attempt by civic authorities.

The eviction drive had commenced earlier in the day at around 10:30 am when approximately 50 BMC officials and workers, backed by more than 100 police personnel, arrived at the Agripada site. Civic authorities had already loaded gym equipment onto transport vehicles when YMCA representatives urged police and civic officials to halt the drive, informing them that the matter was actively being heard in court. Following the High Court's intervention, the loaded equipment was returned to the premises.

According to the YMCA, the civic action originated from a complaint by the local municipal councillor alleging that the gym structure was unhygienic and poorly maintained. In response, the BMC served a notice on July 21 directing the YMCA to hand over the premises within seven days or face a forced eviction with police assistance.

YMCA representatives stated that they had submitted all required documents regarding their possession and management of the site to the BMC. They claimed that no proper physical hearing was conducted prior to the eviction action, nor was a final order served to the organisation.

The organisation moved the High Court on August 11 after learning from Agripada police that security bandobast had been requested for a takeover planned between August 12 and August 14. The YMCA, a nearly 150-year-old organisation, constructed the Agripada gymnasium in 1964 and stated that the facility has served lakhs of local youth through sports and physical education.