The Supreme Court has scheduled a hearing for August 25 to consider a plea by the Delhi Race Club against its eviction from an 84-acre premises on Lok Kalyan Marg. The club’s eviction proceedings were cleared by the Delhi High Court in an order passed on May 27, under the Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Act, 1971.
The High Court order allowed the Estate Officer, Land and Development Office, Urban Affairs Ministry, to proceed with the eviction proceedings. The Delhi Race Club filed a special leave petition against this order on August 13. During a hearing on August 24, the Supreme Court asked the club about the month-long delay in challenging the High Court’s decision.
Senior advocate Shyam Divan, appearing for the club, explained that discussions were ongoing between the club and the Land and Development Office to resolve the issue amicably. The discussions involved an alternative allocation of land and an orderly relocation of the club within a reasonable period, as well as a 10-year exemption from payment of dues and taxes. However, the Estate Officer passed a formal eviction order on August 11, giving the club 15 days to vacate the premises.
The club has argued that the Estate Officer passed the eviction order without providing a reasonable opportunity for the club to be heard. The Supreme Court has asked the club to serve copies of the petition to the authorities concerned and has scheduled the case for a detailed hearing on August 25.
The dispute concerns the club’s occupation of the 84-acre plot on Lok Kalyan Marg. The Centre has argued that the lease granted to the club in 1926 expired on December 31, 1994, and has not been renewed. The Centre claims that the club has continued to occupy the premises without authorisation since the expiry of the lease.
In March, the Centre issued a notice seeking peaceful possession of the land, stating that it was required for a
