NEW DELHI: A controversy has erupted at Delhi’s prestigious Siri Fort Sports Complex after a high-ranking corporate female moved Delhi high court accusing the Delhi Development Authority’s committee of arbitrarily suspending her membership for six months.
The Siri Fort Sports Complex is a multi sports infrastructure situated at August Kranti Marg in New Delhi that offers a host of facilities for sports enthusiasts, to its members strictly on payment.
Poonam Chandel, 51, an alumna of Shimla’s St Bede’s College and married into a Delhi family was stunned after Siri Forts secretary first phoned her to present before a disciplinary committee on May 31 and subsequently disqualified from her membership on June 30 this year.
Delhi high court, that admitted her writ, has now fixed January 2026 as the date to hear the matter.
Chandel, who works as MD at Neu World Spirits in Delhi, says this “arbitrary” decision by the Club committee was taken after she objected to stoppage of AC by a co-member Prachi Dutta at the gym premises in June.
The Siri Forts, hinged its decision to suspend her membership on a CCTV footage that claimed she manhandled Dutta.
However Chandel, who was frequently visiting Max Saket for her treatment of severe gastroenteritis at the time of the incident, now claims harassment against Siri Forts on seven grounds:
- No Copy of complaint by Dutta provided to Chandel
- No Copy of composition of the disciplinary committee provided to her
- CCTV provided to her did not show any physical confrontation between her and Dutta
- No Copy of bye-laws of conducting any enquiry against the members provided
- No Copy of composition of “competent authority” that arrived upon this decision
- No Copy of finding/decision of enquiry committee provided
- No copy of hand written counter complaint by her (Chandel claims Siri Forts cleverly took her response to their committee proceedings not on email but handwritten)
In her writ, Chandel also claimed defamation after she discovered committee was circulating their decision against her to other co members.
Besides, Chandel’s writ says that Siri Fort complex has no charter for any member’s suspension.
“That even as per the Siri Fort Sports Complex bye-laws, the suspens1on of membership is not provided for in the rules thereof” her writ before Delhi HC has said.
“Because the Rules & Regulations of Siri Forts Sports Complex, DDA, does not provide for suspension of membership” it adds.
Siri Forts committee was not available immediately for comments.
Siri Fort Sports Complex that is operated by DDA offers only paid membership.
