Srinagar, Sep 27: A day after the Gulmarg Development Authority (GDA) took over the iconic Hotel Royal Park in Gulmarg, a local court in Baramulla has directed that the status quo be maintained on the property, halting the eviction process until further orders. The directive was issued by the Court of 1st Additional District Judge Baramulla, Naseer Ahmad Dar, in response to a civil suit filed by Bilal Ahmad Shah, the proprietor of Hotel Royal Park, challenging the GDA’s action.
In its interim order, the court admitted the plaintiff’s plea for declaration and perpetual injunction and instructed the GDA to maintain status quo regarding the hotel premises until the next hearing scheduled for October 7, 2025. The plaintiff, represented by Advocate Khurshid Naik, contended that the 20-year lease term for the property should be calculated from December 2005 — the date when renovation work was completed and the rent deed formally executed — rather than from an earlier date. On this basis, the lease would remain valid until November 2025, not June 2025 as claimed by the authorities.
The petition further stated that rent had been paid regularly, including an advance for the next four months, and that an application seeking a 20-year lease extension was already pending consideration with the J&K Tourism Department. Shah argued that the GDA’s sudden eviction move was premature and unlawful, as the lease period had not yet lapsed.
After examining the plaint and supporting documents, the court concluded that a prima facie case existed in favour of the petitioner and issued interim relief, restraining the GDA from taking further action against the property until the matter is heard in detail. The order also allows the GDA to approach the court for modification or cancellation of the interim relief before the next hearing.
The development comes a day after GDA officials announced that Hotel Royal Park, a government-owned property leased to a local businessman nearly two decades ago, was being repossessed following the expiry of its rent agreement in June this year. The authority had also indicated that the property would revert to GDA’s control as part of a broader campaign to reclaim leased UT properties whose terms had expired.
The action against Hotel Royal Park follows a series of similar steps taken by the administration in recent months, including the takeover of the historic 137-year-old Hotel Nedous, which had been occupying more than 98 kanals of prime state land despite its lease having expired in 1985. The government’s ongoing campaign aims to regularise land use, reclaim expired leases, and repurpose key properties in prime tourist destinations like Gulmarg for new development projects and public use.
The court’s interim order marks a significant twist in the high-profile case and is likely to set the stage for a legal battle over lease terms and renewal rights of properties leased by the government in Gulmarg and other prime tourism zones of Jammu and Kashmir. The outcome of this case could have wider implications for similar disputes pending before courts or under administrative consideration.