The Delhi High Court has issued a notice to the Union government following applications from a member of the Delhi Gymkhana Club and the Club’s Staff Welfare Association. They are challenging the Centre’s show cause notice that seeks their eviction from the historic Lutyens’ Delhi premises. Justice Avneesh Jhingan sought the Centre’s response and scheduled further hearings for July 28 after Solicitor General Tushar Mehta requested time to file a reply, mentioning that the applications were served only a day earlier.
Additional Solicitor General Chetan Sharma represented the Centre, while senior advocates Abhishek Manu Singhvi and Jayant Mehta appeared for the applicants. The applications were filed by Delhi Gymkhana Club member Vijay Khurana and the Club’s Staff Welfare Association as part of the ongoing civil suits challenging the Centre’s move to reclaim possession of the Colonial-era club premises. This development came after a show cause notice was issued by the Estate Officer of the Land and Development Office (L&DO) as the Union government took steps to evict the occupants from the Club’s premises at 2, Safdarjung Road.
The Delhi High Court had previously declined to grant interim relief against the Centre’s efforts to reclaim possession of the Delhi Gymkhana Club premises in Lutyens’ Delhi. Justice Jhingan, while issuing summons in the civil suits filed by a club member and the Staff Welfare Association, refused to halt the Centre’s communication. Solicitor General Mehta assured the court that no forcible eviction would occur, and any action would strictly follow the law and be preceded by prior notice. The court noted that no proceedings under the Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Act had been initiated, allowing the petitioners to seek legal remedies if necessary.
According to the communication from the L&DO, the 27.3-acre property is deemed “critically required for the strengthening and securing of Defence infrastructure and other vital public security purposes.” The notice cites Clause 4 of the perpetual lease deed, which grants the lessor the right to re-enter the premises if needed for a public purpose. The Delhi Gymkhana Club, established in 1913 during the Colonial era, is among India’s oldest and most esteemed social institutions, boasting approximately 5,600 permanent members and a substantial waiting list. The current premises were designed in the early 1930s by architect Robert T. Russell, who also crafted Connaught Place and the former Commander-in-Chief’s residence, later known as Teen Murti House.
