Bar license suspended, Gymkhana Club says they first reported theft

New Delhi: Even after the posh Delhi Gymkhana Club had itself reported the theft of liquor bottles worth over Rs 2 lakh to the authorities here, allegedly perpetrated by its own former officials, the Delhi government's excise department has now decided to suspend the club's bar license.

People associated with the club said that it would be challenging the suspension. However, the club insisted that there is no malpractice on their behalf and that they had

themselves reported the discrepancy in their bar stock as soon as they discovered it and investigated it.

According to a report prepared by a committee of the club constituted to look into the discrepancy, the club had found only those bottles were missing from the stock that were selected by a former Secretary of the club Colonel Ashish Khanna. A total of 74 bottles were unaccounted for when the discrepancy was uncovered.

Interestingly, the report had also concluded after speaking to witnesses for whom allegedly the bottles were requisitioned that they had never received the bottles or drank from it.

Meanwhile, the club has already filed a police complaint in the matter, which the police are looking into, according to sources familiar with developments. They added that a show-cause notice had been served to the club.