Members and staff of the Delhi Gymkhana Club on Saturday moved the Delhi High Court against the Centre’s latest show-cause notice seeking eviction from its 27.3-acre premises at 2, Safdarjung Road in Lutyens’ Delhi.
The applications filed by club member Vijay Khurana and the Delhi Gymkhana Club Ltd Staff Welfare Association seek a stay on the operation of the notice. The matter has been listed for hearing before Justice Avneesh Jhingan on July 6.
The pleas form part of the pending legal challenge against the Land and Development Office’s May 22 order asking the colonial-era club to hand over the land by June 5.
The L&DO, which functions under the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, has cited the need for “strengthening and securing defence infrastructure” and other public security purposes as reasons for taking over the land that the club has been built on.
What the latest notice says
On June 29, the L&DO issued a show-cause notice to the club under the Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Act, 1971. The notice asked the club and all persons occupying the premises to explain why an eviction order should not be passed against them.
Estate Officer Bipin Kumar Singh has directed the club and all concerned persons to submit their response by July 7 and appear for a personal hearing the same day at 2.30 pm.
The fresh move comes over a month after the Centre told the Delhi High Court on May 26 that it would not take forcible possession of the premises by June 5 and would follow due process.
Member calls Centre’s reason ‘sham’
In his lawsuit, Khurana has argued that the Centre’s reasons of defence infrastructure and security are “vague and generalised” and amount to a “sham”. He has claimed that the move is an attempt to carry out forced eviction instead of following the due process of law.
According to PTI, Khurana’s suit is supported by more than 500 members of the club.
The staff association’s plea also brings the workers’ concerns to the centre of the dispute. PTI had earlier reported that uncertainty over the Centre’s move had triggered anxiety among the club’s employees, with nearly 600 workers estimated to be dependent on the institution.
A wider Lutyens’ Delhi land dispute
The Delhi Gymkhana Club row has become part of a wider dispute over prime land parcels in central Delhi. PTI had earlier reported that the Delhi Race Club and the Indian Polo Association, which manages the Jaipur Polo Ground, had also approached the courts against similar eviction proceedings.
Together, the Delhi Gymkhana Club, Delhi Race Club and Jaipur Polo Ground occupy nearly 96 acres of prime land in Lutyens’ Delhi. The developments have raised questions around land use, public purpose, heritage spaces and the future of large green areas in the high-security zone near the Prime Minister’s residence on Lok Kalyan Marg.
During earlier hearings in related matters, the Delhi High Court had also raised concerns over the possible loss of open spaces in the area.
Club’s long legal and governance history
The Delhi Gymkhana Club is among the oldest clubs in India. According to the club’s own website, it moved to its present location on July 3, 1913, when it was known as the Imperial Delhi Gymkhana Club. The word “Imperial” was dropped after Independence.
The institution has also been under scrutiny over its management. Since 2022, the club has been run by a government-appointed committee following proceedings before the National Company Law Tribunal.
In 2024, the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal upheld the Centre’s takeover of the club’s management, while directing remedial measures and elections for restoration of management.