The Delhi High Court has directed central authorities to grant representatives of the Central Secretariat Club access to its premises in the President’s Estate to collect organizational records and belongings within a two-week window.
Presiding over the matter, Justice Amit Mahajan ordered the Union government to coordinate the exercise with two designated office bearers from the institution, formerly known as the Talkatora Club. According to the court’s directions, the two representatives will inspect the site, draft an inventory of the items and documents to be recovered, and present the list to the authorities, who must then facilitate the handover.
The directive came after the club’s counsel approached the court during an October 7 hearing seeking entry to retrieve essential papers and property. Government officials had assumed possession of the premises while the club’s underlying legal challenge was still pending.
Dispute Over De-Recognition And Eviction
The interim access order stems from a broader legal challenge filed by the club against two administrative actions: a July 14 order by the Department of Personnel and Training withdrawing its formal recognition, and a subsequent eviction notice issued by the Estate Officer on July 17 demanding immediate vacation of the property.
Earlier in the litigation, the High Court issued notice on August 13 seeking the central government’s response to the club’s petition. However, the bench declined to grant interim status quo protection at that stage, allowing the takeover of the property to proceed.
Allegations Of Administrative Overreach
In its petition, the club contended that the derecognition and eviction measures were arbitrary, unconstitutional, and amounted to an improper exercise of administrative authority. The management stated that the government initially revoked its recognition in February without issuing a show-cause notice, despite repeated representations regarding financial and managerial irregularities during the tenure of an ad-hoc committee overseeing the club.
Although an administrative hearing was granted following earlier judicial intervention—culminating in the fresh July 14 de-recognition order—the petitioner maintained that the subsequent eviction unlawfully classified a 107-year-old institution with permanent occupancy status as an unauthorized occupant, infringing upon principles of natural justice and Article 14 of the Constitution.
