Govt moves Estate Officer for eviction of Delhi Gymkhana Club: 'Illegal occupation'

The Union government has moved the Estate Officer seeking the eviction of the Delhi Gymkhana Club from its 27.3-acre premises at 2, Safdarjung Road in New Delhi, claiming that the land is required for defence infrastructure, public security and other public-interest projects.In a plaint filed before the Estate Officer of the Land and Development Office (L&DO), the Centre said the land belongs to the Union of India and qualifies as public premises under the Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Act, 1971.The government said the property had been leased in 1928 to the then Imperial Delhi Gymkhana Club Ltd, now known as Delhi Gymkhana Club Ltd, under a perpetual lease deed. It cited Clause 4 of the lease deed, which permits the government to resume possession if the land is required for a public purpose."The Centre further argued that following the termination of the lease under Clause 4 of the perpetual lease deed and the government's re-entry into the property, the club's continued occupation of the premises had become "wholly unauthorised and illegal". It contended that Delhi Gymkhana Club now falls within the definition of an "unauthorised occupant" under Section 2(g) of the Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Act, 1971, and is therefore liable to eviction in accordance with law.According to the plaint, the premises are located in a "highly sensitive" and strategically important part of the national capital and are required for strengthening defence infrastructure, public security requirements, governance infrastructure and other public-interest projects. The filing also noted that adjoining parcels of government land in the vicinity had already been resumed by the Centre.The government said the President of India, acting through the L&DO, issued a notice on May 22, 2026, terminating the lease and ordering re-entry and resumption of the property with immediate effect. The club was directed to hand over possession of the premises by June 5.However, the plaint alleged that the club failed to vacate the premises and continues to occupy the land despite the termination of the lease. The Centre argued that the continued occupation amounts to unauthorised occupation under Section 2(g) of the Public Premises Act.The government has sought orders declaring Delhi Gymkhana Club an unauthorised occupant and directing its eviction under the provisions of the Act, besides seeking vacant possession of the property.What led to the latest moveThe latest filing comes weeks after the Centre ordered the club to hand over the premises to the L&DO by June 5, invoking the public purpose clause in the original lease deed. The government had said the land, located close to key government establishments in Lutyens' Delhi, was required for defence infrastructure and public security purposes.The club subsequently approached the Delhi High Court challenging the government's decision. In its plaint before the Estate Officer, the Centre said the high court had declined to grant an injunction against the takeover and that possession of the property would be taken in accordance with law.About Delhi Gymkhana ClubFounded in 1913 as the Imperial Delhi Gymkhana Club and renamed after Independence, the Delhi Gymkhana Club is among the country's oldest and most prominent institutions. Located next to the Prime Minister's residence in the heart of Lutyens' Delhi, the club has long counted senior bureaucrats, military officers, diplomats and business leaders among its members.