The historic Breach Candy Club, located in an upscale area of the country’s financial capital Mumbai, has once again come under legal and social criticism for its antiquated British rules and racism. While Delhi’s famous Delhi Gymkhana Club is battling government eviction orders and allegations of VIP eligibility, the Mumbai club has become the center of controversy in 2026 due to a bizarre rule. These rules reserve the power to run the club and make important decisions entirely and exclusively in the hands of Europeans or holders of European passports. The club, which was once in the spotlight for ousting Congress leader Shashi Tharoor from its doorstep, is now seen in social media and legal circles as black British and an era of apartheid.
According to a report in India Today, the club is spread over 4 acres of land right in front of the Arabian Sea on South Mumbai’s most expensive Bhulabhai Desai Road. The club was started by the British in 1878 to entertain only European residents. After India’s independence, general membership for Indians was introduced in the 1960s due to intense public pressure, but its basic power structure was never democratized. The constitution of the trust, approved by the City Civil Court in 1967, divided the members into two categories.
The prestige of the club is seen in the fact that its membership fees start from around Rs. 1.2 crores to several crores. After spending such a huge amount of money, one has to wait for more than 10 years to get membership. The club’s biggest feature is its huge outdoor saltwater swimming pool, designed to look like a map of undivided British India. The seafront has now receded somewhat due to Mumbai’s Coastal Road project, but today the club is a luxurious escape from the bustling world for VIPs and the wealthy class of this bustling metropolis.
Indian members have challenged the club’s discrimination several times in the Bombay High Court, but the European team has won each time. In 2015, Bombay High Court judge SC Gupte declared the club’s constitution essential and struck down the rule itself by including Indian members. In a 2022 judgement, a division bench of the High Court upheld the same stand and ordered the resignation of the ad hoc committee members of Indian origin. The court’s argument is that since it is a private charitable trust registered under the Maharashtra Public Trust Act, the sanctity of its original founding documents and historic agreements cannot be changed, unless Parliament passes a new law or the Supreme Court intervenes.