Delhi Gymkhana Club Challenges Government Order in High Court
Legal Action Against Land Eviction Order
A member of the Delhi Gymkhana Club has filed a petition in the Delhi High Court against a government directive requiring the prestigious institution to vacate its 27.3-acre land in Lutyens' Delhi by June 5, citing defense and security reasons. The petition, presented through senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, requests an urgent hearing. Justice Avneesh Jhingan is set to hear the case on May 26. Earlier this month, the club had also approached the High Court to contest a significant increase in its land rent.
The club reported that its annual rent surged from ₹409.50 in 2023 to over ₹4.10 crore, with projections indicating it could exceed ₹47.59 crore by April 2026. The club is seeking the annulment of several notices issued by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) regarding increased land rent and other demands, the latest of which was issued on April 16 this year. The club has occupied the premises at 2, Safdarjung Road since 1927 under a permanent lease agreement that stipulates an annual land rent of ₹15 per acre, totaling ₹409.50 for the entire area.
Disputes Over Rent Increase and Lease Violations
According to the pending petition, the club acknowledged some violations of the lease agreement that could have been settled, which were regularized after the payment of regularization fees to the MoHUA. On December 13, 2023, the club claimed that for the first time in over 90 years, the land and corporation department issued a letter to retroactively revise the annual land rent based on prevailing rates for institutional properties, effective from April 1, 2018. The revised demand calculated ₹4.09 crore for the covered area of 3.176 acres and ₹1.32 lakh as a license fee for the remaining 24.124 acres of open space.
In opposition to this increase, the club stated that the revised amount is "10,000 times more" than the original rent of ₹409.50. The club highlighted several issues, including the lack of an opportunity for a hearing, the retroactive application of the revised rent not being in accordance with the central government's 1983 office order, and the impracticality of meeting the demands due to the club's financial situation. Following an order from the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal, the club's management is currently under directors appointed by the MCA. While discussions between the center and the club continue, on September 11, 2025, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHUA) issued a notice to the club, instructing it to rectify violations before exercising re-entry powers for illegal constructions/encroachments, and to list the violations identified by the inspecting officer during a site visit.