Overview
- The Land & Development Office issued a show‑cause notice dated June 29 that requires the Delhi Gymkhana Club to appear for a personal hearing at 2:30 pm on Tuesday, July 7, and to file a written response or face an ex parte decision.
- The Centre says the club’s perpetual lease was lawfully terminated on May 22 under Clause 4 of the 1928 deed and has filed a plaint asking the Estate Officer to declare the club an “unauthorised occupant” and order eviction under the Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Act, 1971.
- The L&DO says it revised the nominal colonial-era rent and alleges unpaid ground rent and penalties of about ₹47.6 crore; it had directed the club to hand over possession by June 5, which led members to challenge the move in the Delhi High Court.
- The Delhi High Court declined interim relief to the club on May 26 after the Solicitor General assured the court that any takeover would follow law and prior notice, and the Centre has already taken possession of nearby government parcels such as the Jaipur Polo Ground.
- If the Estate Officer proceeds and issues an eviction order, members, staff and the club’s operations would face immediate disruption while the land is likely repurposed for defence, governance and public‑security needs, and legal appeals are expected to follow.