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• The Delhi High Court has sought the Centre's response to petitions filed by members and the staff welfare association of the Delhi Gymkhana Club challenging the eviction proceedings initiated against the institution.
• The court also asked the Union government to ensure that the hearing before the Estate Officer is deferred until after the High Court takes up the matter later this month.
• The dispute stems from the Centre's move to reclaim the club's 27.3-acre property after terminating its perpetual lease, citing public purpose and defence infrastructure requirements.
• The case now shifts to judicial scrutiny as both sides prepare to present their arguments on the legality of the eviction process.
The legal battle over one of New Delhi's most prominent institutions has entered a new phase after the Delhi High Court sought the Centre's response to fresh petitions challenging the eviction proceedings against the Delhi Gymkhana Club. The court's intervention provides temporary relief to the club and its occupants while questions surrounding the government's decision to reclaim the prime Lutyens' Delhi property await judicial examination.
Justice Avneesh Jhingan issued notices to the Union government on applications filed by club member Vijay Khurana and the Delhi Gymkhana Club Staff Welfare Association, both seeking a stay on the show-cause notice issued under the Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Act, 1971. The petitions form part of the broader challenge to the Centre's decision to terminate the club's perpetual lease.
The High Court also requested Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to ensure that the proceedings before the Estate Officer, originally scheduled for July 7, are deferred until after the next hearing before the High Court on July 28. The direction is intended to prevent parallel proceedings while the legality of the eviction notice is being considered.
The dispute traces its origins to the Land and Development Office's decision in May to terminate the Gymkhana Club's lease and seek possession of its 27.3-acre premises on Safdarjung Road. The Centre has maintained that the land is required for strengthening and securing defence infrastructure, a public purpose permitted under the terms of the original lease agreement.
Following the lease termination, the Estate Officer issued a show-cause notice asking the club and all occupants to explain why eviction proceedings should not be initiated. The government contends that once the lease ended, the club's continued occupation became unauthorised under the Public Premises Act, making it liable for eviction through the prescribed legal process.
The petitioners, however, argue that the eviction notice is premature because the validity of the lease termination itself remains under challenge before the High Court. They have also questioned the government's stated reasons for resuming the land, contending that the notice should not proceed until the court determines whether the lease was lawfully terminated.
This is not the first time the dispute has reached the High Court. Earlier, the Centre had assured the court that it would not take forcible possession of the property and would follow the due process established under law. The latest proceedings continue that approach, with the government expected to present its detailed response before the matter is heard later this month.
Founded during the colonial era, the Delhi Gymkhana Club occupies one of the capital's most valuable land parcels and has long been regarded as one of India's premier social institutions. The outcome of the case could have significant implications not only for the club's future but also for how the government exercises its powers to resume leased public land for infrastructure and strategic purposes.
For more related stories, click on the link below-
Centre Restarts Eviction Proceedings Against Delhi Gymkhana Club
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