The Centre has ordered the Delhi Gymkhana Club to vacate and hand over its Lutyens’ Delhi premises by June 5, citing the need for defence-linked infrastructure, urgent institutional requirements and other public-interest projects in the national capital. The order, issued by the Land and Development Office under the Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry, directs that the 27.3-acre property at 2, Safdarjung Road be taken over by the government.
Lease Terminated for Public and Defence Needs
The Land and Development Office said the premises were required for “urgent institutional needs, governance infrastructure and public-interest projects” and for the “strengthening and securing of defence infrastructure and other vital public security purposes”. The notice stated that the premises would be taken over by the L&DO on June 5.
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The communication noted that the land had originally been leased to the Imperial Delhi Gymkhana Club Ltd, now known as Delhi Gymkhana Club Ltd, for maintaining a social and sporting club. Located in one of Delhi’s most secure administrative zones, the club sits near the prime minister’s residence on Lok Kalyan Marg and close to key government and defence establishments.
Invoking Clause 4 of the lease deed, the Centre terminated the lease and ordered immediate re-entry into the property. The order said that upon such re-entry, the entire plot, along with all buildings, structures, lawns and fittings, would vest with the lessor, the President of India, through the Land and Development Office.
Club Told to Hand Over Possession
The notice directed the club to hand over peaceful possession of the premises to representatives of the L&DO on the specified date. It also warned that if the club failed to comply, possession would be taken in accordance with law.
The order marks a major development for one of India’s most exclusive colonial-era clubs, which has long occupied a valuable land parcel in Lutyens’ Delhi. Founded during the British era, the club began functioning at the site in 1913 as the Imperial Delhi Gymkhana Club and was renamed after Independence. The existing structures on the property were built in the 1930s.
The latest action comes while the club remains at the centre of a legal and administrative dispute over its management. The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal had earlier upheld an order allowing a Central Government-appointed committee to take over the club’s management.
Legal Row Over Club Management Continues
The appellate tribunal dismissed petitions filed by former management members against an April 2022 National Company Law Tribunal order replacing the club’s General Council with a 15-member government-appointed committee. The committee was asked to complete remedial measures by March 31, 2025, and hold elections for the president and General Council members within three months thereafter.
The Centre’s intervention followed an enquiry ordered in March 2016 into the club’s affairs. A report submitted to the Ministry of Corporate Affairs in March 2020 allegedly pointed to multiple violations, after which the government moved the tribunal under provisions of the Companies Act dealing with oppression and mismanagement.
In June 2020, the tribunal allowed the government to appoint two members to monitor the functioning of the club alongside the General Council and recommend corrective measures. In April 2022, the tribunal further permitted the government to nominate 15 individuals to the club’s General Committee to oversee its management. Senior advocates representing the appellants had contested the takeover and questioned the findings related to alleged financial irregularities.
