While the Club contended that its lease stood renewed after payment of pending dues to the tune of Rs 3.48 crore in 2013, the Centre had disagreed and initiated eviction proceedings under the Public Premises Act earlier this year.
In a setback to the Delhi Race Club, which is fighting to maintain a hold over nearly 53 acres of land in the heart of the Capital, the Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed its appeal against a High Court order, which had vacated a stay on the eviction proceedings initiated by the Centre. In another blow, a district court on Tuesday also refused to grant any interim stay on the eviction proceedings.
The Estate Officer of the Land and Development Office (L&DO), which comes under the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, on August 11, issued an eviction order to the Club under the Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorized Occupants) Act. It directed the club to vacate the premises within 15 days, terming them to be “unauthorised occupant” of the land.
This order was challenged before the district court. The Club also sought an interim stay on the eviction proceedings.
On Monday, while keeping the application on interim stay pending, Principal District and Sessions Judge Pitamber Dutt of Patiala court sought a response from the Centre and the Estate Officer on the Club’s appeal, keeping the matter for consideration on August 31.
On the other hand, the Club also had a plea pending before the SC, challenging the Delhi HC’s decision to vacate the stay in April on eviction proceedings initiated by the government against the Club.
On Tuesday, the plea before the SC was heard by a bench of Justices Satish Chandra Sharma and NK Singh. The bench, noting that an appeal is already pending before the district court, refused to entertain the plea. It, however, allowed the Club to approach the district court, seeking that the hearing be scheduled earlier.
Following the SC order, the district court heard the Club’s interim stay application on Tuesday and refused to grant any relief, reasoning that the Club had “failed to make out any prima facie case” in its favour.
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Opposing the Club’s request for relief, the Centre, through its standing counsel Ashish Dixit, also pointed out that the Club was continuing on the premises minus any valid lease deed.
The Club, in possession of the land since 1926, was issued a show cause notice by the government for re-entry in 1999. Following a legal challenge, the notice was set aside by Delhi HC in 2012.
While the Club contended that its lease stood renewed after payment of pending dues to the tune of Rs 3.48 crore in 2013, the Centre had disagreed and initiated eviction proceedings under the Public Premises Act earlier this year.
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.
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