The Union government has transferred the estate officer seeking to vacate the Delhi Gymkhana Club from its 27.3-acre premises at 2 Safdarjung Road in New Delhi, claiming that the land is needed for defense infrastructure, public security and other public interest projects.
In a complaint filed before the land officer of the Land and Development Office (L&DO), the Center said the land belongs to the Union of India and qualifies as public buildings under the Public Buildings (Eviction of Unauthorized Occupants) Act, 1971.
The property was leased in 1928 to Imperial Delhi Gymkhana Club Limited, now known as Delhi Gymkhana Club Limited, under a perpetual lease, the government said. She cited Clause 4 of the lease, which allows the government to resume possession if the land is needed for a public purpose.
“The Center also argued that after the termination of the lease under Clause 4 of the Perpetual Lease and the government’s return to the property, the club’s continued occupancy of the premises was ‘totally unauthorized and unlawful’. It alleged that the Delhi Gymkhana Club now falls within the definition of ‘unauthorised occupant’ under Section 2(g) of the Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Act, 1971 and is therefore liable to eviction under the Act.”
According to the complaint, the buildings are located in a “highly sensitive” and strategically important part of the national capital and are required to enhance defense infrastructure, public security requirements, governance infrastructure and other projects of public interest. The filing also noted that the Center has already resumed plots of adjacent plots of government land in the vicinity.
The President of India, through the L&DO, issued a notification on May 22, 2026, terminating the lease and ordering re-entry and resumption of the property with immediate effect, the government said. The club was instructed to hand over ownership of the building by June 5.
However, the complaint alleged that the club failed to vacate the building and continued to occupy the land despite the expiration of its lease. The Center argued that the continued occupation amounted to unauthorized occupation under Section 2(g) of the Public Buildings Law.
The government has sought orders declaring the Delhi Gymkhana Club an unauthorized occupant and directing its eviction under the provisions of the law, besides seeking possession of the vacant property.
Which led to the final step
The latest submission comes weeks after the Center ordered the club to hand over the building to L&DO by June 5, citing a public purpose clause in the original lease deed. The government said the land, located near Delhi’s main government institutions in Lutyens, is required for defense infrastructure and public security purposes.
The club then approached the Delhi High Court to challenge the government’s decision. The Center said in its complaint before the real estate official that the Supreme Court had refused to issue an injunction against the seizure, and that possession of the property would be seized in accordance with the law.
About Delhi Gymkhana Club
Founded in 1913 as the Imperial Delhi Gymkhana Club and renamed after independence, the Delhi Gymkhana Club is among the oldest and most prominent institutions in the country. Located near the Prime Minister’s residence in the heart of Lutyens’ Delhi, the club has long counted top bureaucrats, military officers, diplomats and business leaders among its members.
