Govt wins Race Club battle

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday set aside the stay on a notice issued to the Delhi Race Club to vacate its 84-acre premises in the heart of the Capital. The order paves way for the Union Government to proceed with the eviction process. “The instant appeal is allowed and the order dated April 24, 2026, of the single judge, is hereby set aside,” said the HC.

The Delhi Race Club was served an eviction notice by the Land & Development Office (L&DO) of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs on March 12, days after the club completed 100 years. The notice directed the club to vacate the property it has occupied since 1926 within 15 days.

The Union Government has claimed that the 1926 lease deed with the club for the 84.48-acre plot at Lok Kalyan Marg was not perpetual in nature and it expired on December 31, 1994. Since no further extension was granted, the club’s continued occupation of the land was unauthorised and liable to be examined under the Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Act, the Government argued.

The move is being seen as part of a wider Government push to reclaim nearly 100 acres of prime land located close to the Prime Minister’s residence at Lok Kalyan Marg and adjacent to the Air Force Station area in central Delhi.

For decades, the venue - known for its distinctive horseshoe-shaped track — has been a prominent destination for horse racing enthusiasts. Over the years, races held at the club have attracted dignitaries and celebrities. Originally known as the Delhi Gymkhana Race Club, the institution was established to promote horse racing and the breeding of Indian horses, and governed by elected members and Government nominees. Much of the land and surroundings were developed by British architects in the 1920s. It was formally incorporated in 1940-41 as the Delhi Race Club (1940) Limited, the name under which it continues to operate today.