Gymkhana Club asked to vacate premises
Centre to take over 27.3 acres of land on June 5, 2026 for public and defence infrastructure
In a significant move, the Centre has asked the Gymkhana Club in Lutyens’ Delhi, located at 2 Safdarjung Road, to hand over its premises by June 5, citing that the land was required for urgent public and securing defence infrastructure.”
An order to this effect has been issued by the Land and Development Office under the Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry. The Land & Development Office is scheduled to take over the premises on June 5, 2026. Spread across nearly 27.3 acres on Safdarjung Road, the club building was designed by famed British architect Robert Tor Russell — who also designed Connaught Place and Teen Murti House. Tucked beside the imposing Ashoka trees and the power corridors of the Capital, the Delhi Gymkhana Club has for over a century symbolised power, elitism, exclusivity, access, colonial influence and above all privilege. Its membership defined people’s status in the Delhi high society.
“The premises, situated at 2, Safdarjung Road, New Delhi, were leased to the Imperial Delhi Gymkhana Club Ltd for the specific purpose of maintaining a social and sporting club,” said the order.
It is one of India’s oldest and most prestigious social and sporting clubs. The club shifted to its present location in 1913 and was then known as the “Imperial Delhi Gymkhana Club”, with Spencer Harcourt Butler serving as its first President. After India attained Independence in 1947, the word “Imperial” was dropped, and the institution came to be known simply as the Delhi Gymkhana Club.
The club traces its origins to July 1913. It became a prominent gathering place for civil servants, military officers, diplomats, business leaders, and members of India’s elite. In its early years, the Polo Club functioned as part of the Gymkhana Club before becoming a separate entity in the 1930s after shifting to New Delhi. Historical records relating to the club’s origins are limited, and systematic documentation of its history is understood to have begun only around 1927.
The order further states that the entire land parcel, along with all buildings, structures, lawns and fittings standing on it, shall vest absolutely with the President of India through the Land & Development Office.
“In exercise of the powers conferred under Clause 4 of the Lease Deed, the President of India, through the Land & Development Office, hereby determines the lease and orders re-entry of the aforesaid premises with immediate effect,” it stated.
“Upon such re-entry, the entire plot of land measuring 27.3 acres, along with all buildings, standing erections, structures, lawns, and fittings thereon, shall vest absolutely in the lessor, ie, the President of India, through the Land & Development Office.”
According to the order, the premises will be taken over by the Land & Development Office on June 5. “You are directed to hand over peaceful possession of the premises to the representatives of this office on the aforesaid date. In the event of non-compliance, possession shall be taken in accordance with law,” it stated.
The Delhi Gymkhana Club has been directed to hand over peaceful possession of the property on the said date, failing which possession would be taken in accordance with law. The communication was signed by Deputy Land & Development Officer Suchit Goyal and issued with the approval of the competent authority.
A member of the Delhi Gymkhana Club, Siddharth, said the club would challenge the order through an appeal, asserting that there was no security or other threat linked to the premises. “The next step will be to file an appeal against this order. The club is very old and has a large number of members. There is no security threat or any such concern,” he said. “As a member, I feel the observations made in the order should be reconsidered and such a situation should not have arisen,” he added.
On being asked about the deadline given for vacating the premises, he said the club would comply if it was directed by the court.
“If it is a court order, then there will certainly be compliance. There is no doubt about that,” he said.
The Centre’s intervention began after an enquiry ordered in March 2016 into the affairs of the club. A report submitted to the Ministry of Corporate Affairs in March 2020 allegedly pointed to multiple violations, following which the government approached the tribunal under Sections 241 and 242 of the Companies Act, 2013, dealing with oppression and mismanagement.
In June 2020, the tribunal permitted the government to appoint two members to monitor the functioning of the Delhi Gymkhana Club alongside the General Council and recommend corrective measures. The Centre was also allowed to investigate the club’s affairs. In April 2022, the tribunal further permitted the government to nominate 15 individuals to the club’s General Committee to oversee its management.
Senior Advocate Krishnendu Dutta and Advocate Gaurav M Liberhan, appearing for the appellants challenging the takeover, had argued that the Centre was required to establish that the club’s affairs were being conducted in a manner prejudicial to public interest before intervening.
