On May 22, the Land and Development Office under the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs wrote to the secretary of the club initiating the “re-entry and resumption of [the] premises” at 2 Safdarjung Road. (PTI Photo)The Delhi High Court will hear on Tuesday a suit filed by Vijay Khurana, described as a longstanding member of the Delhi Gymkhana Club, asking the court to restrain the central government from taking back the land occupied by the elite, almost century-old club in the heart of Lutyens’ Delhi.Khurana, who has claimed that he is “supported by over 500 other members” of the club, has described the government’s move as a “malicious and colourable exercise – the last in a series of acts…to gain control over the institution”.On May 22, the Land and Development Office under the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs wrote to the secretary of the club initiating the “re-entry and resumption of [the] premises” at 2 Safdarjung Road.Clause 4 of the 1928 lease deed says the premises can be “re-entered”, or taken back, in full or part, if it is required for a public purpose. The government has said the re-entry is necessary for “strengthening and securing Defence infrastructure”.Khurana has submitted that the government has over the years adopted a “continuing and concerted course of conduct to progressively assume control” over the club and its assets.He has referred to the proceedings initiated under the Companies Act in 2020 alleging mismanagement of the club, after which the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) had placed the management and affairs of the club “under substantial governmental influence and control”.Also Read | ‘10,000 times original rent’: Delhi Gymkhana Club faced Rs 47 crore dues before ‘vacate’ order“The sequence, timing and nature of the impugned action demonstrate a premeditated and coordinated design rather than any genuine or emergent public requirement. The vague invocation of “public purpose” is merely a facade to achieve a collateral objective, namely complete governmental control over (the club) and its assets,” says the petition.Story continues below this adThe government’s invocation of Clause 4 of the perpetual lease deed is “vague”, and the notice “neither identifies any specific public project nor discloses any material, assessment, approval or necessity justifying repossession” of the property, it says.The invocation of the clause is “entirely mechanical, unsupported by particulars and reflective of complete non-application of mind”, it says.Khurana has alleged that the notice “manufactures an artificial urgency by directing surrender of possession within fifteen days without disclosing any emergent circumstance warranting such extraordinary action”.It is also “entirely silent” on “mandatory safeguards” such as determination of compensation in respect of the premium, buildings, and structures on the premises, the payment of compensation in the manner contemplated under the perpetual lease deed, and compliance with the contractual mechanism governing the resumption of possession, he has argued.Story continues below this adKhurana has also referred to a 2009 notice issued by the Deputy Land & Development Officer withdrawing an earlier re-entry order of September 29, 2000.The 2009 declaration by the government recorded, “Your ownership and titles stand restored to you. You are now bound by the covenants of the original lease deed executed on 28.2.1928,” Khurana has said.According to the petition, “such proprietary rights cannot be extinguished by executive notice. Under Article 300A of the Constitution, any deprivation of property should be by authority of “substantive law that is fair, just and reasonable, in pursuance of a genuine public purpose, with notice, hearing, reasoned decision and payment of fair compensation”.Sohini Ghosh is a Senior Correspondent at The Indian Express. Previously based in Ahmedabad covering Gujarat, she recently moved to the New Delhi bureau, where she primarily covers legal developments at the Delhi High Court Professional Profile Background: An alumna of the Asian College of Journalism (ACJ), she previously worked with ET NOW before joining The Indian Express. Core Beats: Her reporting is currently centered on the Delhi High Court, with a focus on high-profile constitutional disputes, disputes over intellectual property, criminal and civil cases, issues of human rights and regulatory law (especially in the areas of technology and healthcare). Earlier Specialty: In Gujarat, she was known for her rigorous coverage in the beats of crime, law and policy, and social justice issues, including the 2002 riot cases, 2008 serial bomb blast case, 2016 flogging of Dalits in Una, among others. She has extensively covered health in the state, including being part of the team that revealed the segregation of wards at the state’s largest government hospital on lines of faith in April 2020. With Ahmedabad being a UNESCO heritage city, she has widely covered urban development and heritage issues, including the redevelopment of the Sabarmati Ashram Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Her recent reporting from the Delhi High Court covers major political, constitutional, corporate, and public-interest legal battles: High-Profile Case Coverage She has extensively covered the various legal battles - including for compensation under the aegis of North East Delhi Riots Claims Commission - pertaining to the 2020 northeast Delhi riots, as well as 1984 anti-Sikh riots. She has also led coverage at the intersection of technology and governance, and its impact on the citizenry, from, and beyond courtrooms — such as the government’s stakeholder consultations for framing AI-Deepfake policy. Signature Style Sohini is recognized for her sustained reporting from courtrooms and beyond. She specialises in breaking down dense legal arguments to make legalese accessible for readers. Her transition from Gujarat to Delhi has seen her expand her coverage on regulatory, corporate and intellectual property law, while maintaining a strong commitment to human rights and lacuna in the criminal justice system. X (Twitter): @thanda_ghosh ... Read More © The Indian Express Pvt Ltd