‘No coercive action on Gymkhana Club for now’

NEW DELHI: The Centre on Thursday assured the Delhi High Court that it would not take any coercive action for now against Delhi Gymkhana Club over its eviction from the 27.3-acre premises on Safdarjung Road.

The assurance came during the hearing of pleas by club member Vijay Khurana and others seeking a stay on the June 29 eviction notice issued by an Estate Officer of the Land and Development Office (L&DO). The matter was heard by Justice Avneesh Jhingan.

“We will not take any action in a coercive manner. The (earlier) statement continues. We will not take any coercive action (till the next date),” Additional Solicitor General Chetan Sharma, appearing for the government, told the HC.

Sharma urged the authority to consider whether it should proceed with the notice while the question of its jurisdiction remains pending. The HC recorded the Centre’s submission and fixed the matter for further hearing on September 16. Justice Jhingan directed the club members to file their reply before the estate officer.

The judge said before deciding on interim relief, he wanted the estate officer to first consider the jurisdiction issue. “What I am intending to do is that before I proceed with it (the interim relief), let him (estate officer) visit this issue... Whether he should proceed, whether he can proceed, whatsoever comes out of it, we are still here,” the judge said.

Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for Khurana, said the chances of the estate officer ruling in favour of the club members were low. He said any response filed before the officer should be without prejudice to the members’ case before the HC.

The pleas filed by Khurana and the Delhi Gymkhana Club Ltd Staff Welfare Association are part of a pending lawsuit arising from the L&DO’s May 22 order terminating the club’s lease deed and directing it to return the land by June 5.