A Covid care centre set up by a non-governmental organisation (NGO) in Sector 61 near Badshahpur was ransacked on Thursday morning, allegedly by the landowner, who wanted the camp to be removed from the site, members of the NGO alleged. The foundation officials said there was no patient at the facility at the time of the incident.
Evacuation work in progress at Hemkunt Oxygen Centre in Sector 61 after some dispute with locals in Gurugram. (Vipin Kumar / Hindustan Times)
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NGO officials said they had a verbal agreement with the owner to use the site till June 30 and then find an alternative site.
JP Singh, HR director of Hemkunt Foundation, the NGO, alleged that tents, boards and other items inside the camp were damaged and they were forced to close the facility. A police complaint was lodged in the evening by the foundation at the Sector 65 police station.
Police officials said it is a dispute between the landowner and the foundation, but added that a case under sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 427 (mischief causing damage) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the IPC was registered. Police said of the 22 people booked, only two, including the landowner, were named in the FIR.
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Deepak Kumar, SHO of Sector 65 police station, said a police team and the subdivisional magistrate of Badshahpur, Satish Yadav, visited the spot as soon as they received a complaint. “The landowner is planning to set up his own makeshift oxygen centre for residents and they have been asking the Hemkunt Foundation to vacate. There is no legal or written agreement between the parties, due to which they are bound to vacate the private property. We have intervened and given two days to shift their set up,” said Kumar.
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Deepak Kumar, SHO of Sector 65 police station, said a police team and the subdivisional magistrate of Badshahpur, Satish Yadav, visited the spot as soon as they received a complaint. “The landowner is planning to set up his own makeshift oxygen centre for residents and they have been asking the Hemkunt Foundation to vacate. There is no legal or written agreement between the parties, due to which they are bound to vacate the private property. We have intervened and given two days to shift their set up,” said Kumar.
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Yash Garg, the deputy commissioner of Gurugram, said they have deployed police at the site as a precautionary measure. “I will be holding a discussion with them and an appropriate site would be given based on the requirement,” he said.
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The care centre set up by the foundation had 150 beds and 350 chairs to provide oxygen support to Covid-19 patients.
Following the incident, a representative of the foundation took to social media and alleged they were being forcibly evicted by the locals. Within minutes, around 1,000 users retweeted it and the post got more than 240 reactions.
Singh, who is also in charge of the camp, said they had already paid 3.5 lakh to the landowner. “The owner came to the camp on Wednesday and asked us to vacate the site within a day. How is this possible? We asked them to wait till June 30 so that we could make alternative arrangements. Action should be taken against miscreants,” said Singh.
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The landowner did not respond to text messages and phone calls requesting comment.
Leena Dhankhar is Senior Editor and Bureau Chief, Gurugram, at Hindustan Times, where she has spent over 17 years chronicling the transformation of one of India's fastest-growing urban regions. From starting her career as a crime reporter to leading the Gurugram bureau, her journalism has been defined by investigative reporting, in-depth storytelling and an unwavering focus on public interest.
Over nearly two decades, she has reported extensively across crime, politics, civic governance, elections, real estate, environment, courts, sports, education and entertainment, covering Gurugram, Faridabad, Nuh and Palwal. Her reporting has exposed several major scams and systemic failures, including insurance frauds, waste management irregularities, illegal arms manufacturing units in Nuh, illegal mining in the Aravallis, organised crime networks and governance lapses affecting millions of residents.
Known for her investigative work and exclusive stories, Leena has reported on high-impact national issues, including the Nicaragua charter flight carrying Indian migrants that was turned back amid allegations of human trafficking, exposing the growing network of illegal immigration rackets. Her work has also focused on gang wars, prison administration, juvenile crime, women and child protection systems, the functioning of the Juvenile Justice Board and Child Welfare Committee, and environmental challenges such as pollution, waterlogging and deteriorating civic infrastructure.
Beyond hard news, Leena has extensively documented Haryana's rich heritage, forests and wildlife, bringing attention to the state's historical landmarks, biodiversity, conservation efforts and ecological challenges through immersive reportage and feature writing.
Her journalism has consistently gone beyond breaking news. She has documented Gurugram's rapid urbanisation through long-form narratives and enterprise reporting on issues ranging from pothole-ridden roads, flooding and waste management to the changing social fabric of India's Millennium City. She also writes widely read feature columns, including The Outsider, Changemaker, and Concern for Gurugram, profiling people, places and ideas shaping the city's identity.
Leena is the author of Gurugram School Murder, published by Juggernaut Books, a deeply reported account of one of India's most high-profile school murder investigations. She is currently working on her second book, an investigative work exploring some of India's most significant scams and fraud investigations.
Beyond print journalism, she has expanded her storytelling through public speaking and digital media. She is a TEDx speaker and has produced podcasts exploring Gurugram's transformation, civic challenges and untold stories. Her work reflects a commitment to narrative journalism that combines rigorous reporting with compelling storytelling.
A law graduate with an MBA in Human Resources, Leena brings a multidisciplinary perspective to her reporting, particularly on governance, public policy and legal affairs. She has travelled extensively across India to pursue investigative assignments, often reporting from remote locations and conflict-prone areas in search of stories that matter.
Abhishek Behl is a Special Correspondent with Hindustan Times, Gurugram bureau. With over a decade of experience in journalism, he reports on Gurugram's rapid urban transformation, covering the city's changing infrastructure, governance, and planning landscape. His reporting spans major civic agencies, such as the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA), Department of Town and Country Planning (DTCP), Haryana Shahari Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP), and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).
Behl has reported on key urban development issues such as RRTS projects, metro expansion, road and highway projects, water supply, drainage, mobility, environmental concerns, land use planning, affordable housing, and the city's real estate sector. He closely tracks policy decisions, infrastructure implementation, and their impact on the city and its residents. He also covers regulatory action against illegal constructions, urban flooding, traffic management, and initiatives aimed at improving civic services and sustainable development.
Behl has also written on political developments in south Haryana, focusing on elections and governance. His journalism is driven by fact-based reporting, ground-level coverage, and an understanding of the social and economic dynamics of Gurugram.
Apart from work he is a cyclist and a cricketer and a resident of Palam Vihar since 2010.
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