India's shooting coach who guided Manu Bhaker, Sarabjot Singh to bronze in Paris gets house demolition notice

Renowned national pistol shooting coach, Samaresh Jung, who recently guided Indian shooters Manu Bhaker and Sarabjot Singh to bronze medals at the Paris Olympics, returned home to a distressing situation. His residence in the Khyber Pass locality of Civil Lines, Delhi, has been marked for demolition by the Land and Development Office (LNDO), citing ownership by the Ministry of Defence and labeling the properties as illegal.

Jung, a decorated athlete with a history of international success, expressed bewilderment and frustration at the sudden notice, which allows residents only two days to vacate. His family has called the area home since the 1950s, making the prospect of leaving on such short notice particularly challenging.

Despite efforts to challenge the demolition through a court petition, Jung's request was denied. In response, he turned to social media to share his distress, highlighting the abruptness of the notice following India's recent Olympic achievements. Jung has called for a more reasonable timeframe of at least two months to vacate, while also seeking clarity on the demolition plan.

Speaking to IANS, Jung expressed his bewilderment over the demolition drive. “It is in their plan, and I don’t even know about it. They have declared the entire colony illegal,” he said. He lamented the short notice, stating, “My family has been living here for the last 75 years, since the 1950s. We went to court, but our petition was rejected.”

He emphasized the impracticality of being asked to vacate the house within a mere two days. "We simply need more time. It is unreasonable to expect us to leave the house immediately after being notified," he asserted.

In a social media post on Thursday evening, Jung further conveyed his distress, describing the LNDO's announcement as haphazard.

“After the euphoria of Indian shooters winning two Olympic medals, I, the team coach, just returned home from the Olympics to the disheartening news that my house and locality are to be demolished in 2 days,” he posted.

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