After Delhi Gymkhana, Race Club faces eviction:Why is the 100-year-old iconic horse racing venue facing closure, and who owns the land?

Merely hours after the eviction orders of the Gymkhana Club, Delhi’s 100-year-old iconic horse racing venue, the Delhi Race Club, now faces the danger of eviction. The Delhi High Court on Tuesday allowed the centre to continue the eviction of the Delhi Race Club. This order was given by the HC bench comprising Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia while hearing the Union of India Anr vs Delhi Race Club Ltd. The court cancelled the previous order from April this year, which had temporarily stopped eviction proceedings against the Delhi Race Club under the Public Premises Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants Act, 1971. What is the entire issue? The dispute between the central government and the Delhi Race Club relates to a 53-acre piece of land owned by the government. The land is located at the Race Course Road, now called Lok Kalyan Marg, and has been occupied by the Delhi Race Club. What does the government say? The Delhi Race Club currently occupies up to 84.4 acres, but according to arguments presented by the government, the land was initially leased to the club for 25 years in 1926. A renewal of that lease was subject to conditions and approval. Additionally, the government also claimed that the lease of the club had expired in 1994, and no further renewals had been approved so far. Additionally, in 1985, a substantial portion of the subject land was resumed by the Centre and allotted for public purposes, including to the Ministry of Defence. What does the Club say? As a response, the club mentioned that since 1987, the government has demanded substantially increased rent. Additionally, the club also mentioned that in 1999, a show-cause notice was issued to the Club by the government for re-entry. Following a protracted challenge to the notice, the Delhi HC in 2012 had set it aside. The club also claimed that the lease was renewed in 2013 after payment of dues totaling ₹3.48 crore for purported breaches of the terms of lease regularisation. Since 2013, the Club has been paying an annual ground rent of Rs 22.29 lakh. To this, the centre claims that dues paid as misuse charges for breaches do not create or renew leasehold rights in favour of the Club.
Why is the land important? The piece of land in question sits at Lok Kalyan Marg, surrounded by one of the iconic and administratively crucial buildings of the nation.
These locations include-
1. The private residential zone for the Prime Minister.
2. Panchvati Auditorium- A government-owned auditorium and conference facility often hosting large delegations, cabinet huddles, video conferencing, and media briefings.
3. High security residential premises for the stay of visiting dignitaries and international guests, namely Arunachal Bhawan, Gujarat Bhawan, Kashmir House, and several others.
4. Indira Gandhi Memorial Museum. Impact of closing the Delhi Race Club? The Delhi Race Club may hold assets and facilities and luxuries that remain at par with the international horse race courses, but beyond luxury, the club supports a large racing ecosystem that soon could diminish or cease to exist. Additionally, the club also has 5,000 livelihoods that depend directly or indirectly on the racecourse. These livelihoods include trainers, jockeys, stable workers, veterinarians, horse handlers, betting staff, and hospitality workers. History of the Delhi Race Club Founded on 8 March 1926, it was officially registered in 1940 and began operating under the Royal Western India Turf Club’s racing rules in 1959. The Delhi Race Club is one of northern India’s most prestigious horse racing institutions. Originally built as an oval track, the racecourse now has a distinctive horseshoe shape because of a piece of land being taken over by the Indian Air Force. The Delhi Race Club eventually developed into a large racing ecosystem with around 750 members and more than 2,000 people connected to it. The infrastructure includes training tracks, paddocks, stables, viewing galleries, exclusive member stands, and a veterinary hospital. By the 2019–20 season, the Delhi Race Club hosted nearly 50 race days and offered about ₹91.5 million in prize money. After nearly a century, the club stands not only as a racing venue but is a symbol of Delhi’s old sporting culture, combining heritage, prestige, technology, and the spectacle of horse racing.