The Delhi High Court on Monday adjourned to July 28 applications filed by a member of the Delhi Gymkhana Club and the Delhi Gymkhana Club Ltd. Staff Welfare Association challenging the Centre’s show-cause notice initiating eviction proceedings against the club from its 27.3-acre premises at Safdarjung Road.
The applications, moved by club member Vijay Khurana and the Staff Welfare Association, seek a stay on the operation of the show-cause notice issued under the Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Act, 1971. The notice followed the Land and Development Office’s (L&DO) May 22 decision terminating the club’s perpetual lease on the ground that the land is required for “strengthening and securing defence infrastructure.”
When the matter came up before Justice Avneesh Jhingan, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing virtually for the Centre, sought time to file a response, submitting that the applications had been served on him only the previous day. The Court accepted the request and adjourned the matter to July 28.
The challenge forms part of the ongoing dispute over the Centre’s decision to reclaim the historic club’s premises. Earlier, the Centre had assured the High Court that it would not take forcible possession of the property without following the due process prescribed by law.
Also read: No Forcible Eviction From Delhi Gymkhana Club Without Notice: Delhi HC Records Centre’s Assurance