A Division Bench of the Karnataka High Court dismissed a petition filed by the Bangalore Turf Club (BTC) against the State Government and its order of termination of lease on December 31, 2009. The Court struck down the Club's plea that the grant of the present land given to them in 1915 was absolute. The BTC had further stated that they would consider shifting out of the present premises only if the Karnataka Government gave them more than 150 acres of suitable land, a long tax holiday and a financial grant for building a new race course, as also sufficient time to create this alternate infrastructure.

The time indicated in the petition was a minimum of five years. The need for these petitions arose late last year, after the Government had refused to extend the lease beyond the above-mentioned deadline. They had asked the BTC to vacate its present premises and move its activities to another location. At that stage, the Government had offered an alternate piece of land at Chikkajala and Doddajala, but the same was found to be unsuitable by the present Managing Committee of the Club. The tank bed area adjoining the said land was the subject of litigation in the local courts.

Today's order is a huge setback for the BTC. It directs the Club to vacate the premises by 22nd September 2010 (exactly six months from now), and hand over the same to the Government. It has not directed the Government to provide an alternate site for conducting racing at Bangalore. The Court wants the Government to preserve this large piece of land as an "Open Space".

The order further states that the tank bed area in Chikkajala and Doddajala be preserved as it is, and must not be used for relocating the race course. The news was received with shock and dismay by the racing fraternity all over India. The BTC is planning to file a Special Leave Petition in The Supreme Court against this order passed by the High Court of Karnataka.