The legal battle over the future of the Delhi Gymkhana Club has entered a fresh phase, with members and employees approaching the Delhi High Court against the Centre’s latest move that could lead to their eviction from the club’s historic Safdarjung Road premises in Lutyens’ Delhi.Club member Vijay Khurana and the Delhi Gymkhana Club Ltd Staff Welfare Association have filed applications seeking a stay on a show-cause notice issued by the Centre under the Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Act, 1971. The matter is scheduled to be heard by Justice Avneesh Jhingan on July 6.The latest petitions are part of the continuing legal challenge to the government’s bid to reclaim the club’s 27.3-acre property. On May 22, the Land and Development Office (L&DO), under the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, directed the colonial era institution to hand over the land by June 5, stating that it was required for “strengthening and securing defence infrastructure”.The dispute escalated further after Estate Officer Bipin Kumar Singh issued a show-cause notice on June 29, asking the club to explain why an eviction order should not be passed against it. The notice requires the club and all occupants of the premises to submit their replies by July 7 and appear for a personal hearing later the same day.In his petition, Khurana has challenged the basis of the government’s decision, arguing that the reasons cited for reclaiming the land are insufficient and lack specificity. The plea contends that the references to defence infrastructure and security requirements are “vague and generalised” and amount to an “attempt to effect forced eviction” without following the legal process.The petition also states that more than 500 members have backed the legal challenge against the government’s action.The latest proceedings come against the backdrop of an earlier hearing before the Delhi High Court in May, when the Centre assured the court that it would not take forcible possession of the property without following due process. Recording that assurance, the court had declined to grant interim protection to the club.The dispute over the Delhi Gymkhana Club is unfolding alongside a wider push by the Centre to reclaim government owned land in Lutyens’ Delhi. Last month, the government took physical possession of the 15.20-acre Jaipur Polo Ground following eviction proceedings, stating that the land was needed for a larger public purpose.Established in 1913, the Delhi Gymkhana Club is among the capital’s oldest private clubs and has remained at the centre of a legal and public debate since the Centre initiated steps earlier this year to reclaim the property.