Gallops restaurant on the grounds of the Royal Western India Turf Club (RWITC) is challenging a notice for closure from the Bombay Municipal Corporation (BMC) on April 13, 2015. The restaurant at the Mahalaxmi Race Course remained closed until time of writing, mentions a report in The Times of India (TOI) dated April 17, 2015. A paper sign pasted outside the eatery states "personal reasons” for this. The BMC had asked Gallops to stop operations because it reportedly does not possess the necessary licence to run an eatery. The municipality has asked for an explanation regarding the restaurant’s activities within two days, reported TOI. The notice mentioned that the eatery lacked a health licence and had failed to submit documents showing that the RWITC had extended its lease. The BMC also warned that it could seize any article or equipment found inside if the restaurant was not closed immediately.
When the RWITC recently passed a resolution to extend the lease for the restaurant, there was disagreement among the nine-member committee. Four members, headed by former chairman Vivek Jain, opposed the proposal. They started a signature campaign for the committee to call an extraordinary general meeting of members to discuss the issue, noted TOI. The RWITC’s lease on the race course land had ended in 2013 and the Club’s request to the state government and BMC to renew it has not yet been acted on. It was the government’s case that the land had been given to the RWITC for horse racing and these committee members felt that nothing should be done to jeopardize renewal of the lease. However, RWITC chairman Khushroo Dhunjibhoy had then stated that since the government was permitting many activities on the race course premises, there was no harm in having a restaurant where people could eat during races, TOI reported.