Delhi HC denies status quo plea by 107-year-old Central Secretariat Club facing eviction

The Delhi HC on Thursday refused to order status quo in a petition filed by Central Secretariat Club challenging Centre’s decision to withdraw its recognition

The Delhi High Court on Thursday refused to order status quo in a petition filed by 107-year old Central Secretariat Club (CCS) challenging Centre’s decision to withdraw its recognition and evict it from its premises.

Centre withdrew club’s recognition in February

The matter will now be heard on August 24. (HT Archive)

The Centre’s Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) in February withdrew the club’s recognition, citing a series of alleged violations and irregularities including gambling, withholding of information, and financial misappropriation. Following this the estate officer on July 17 directed them to immediately vacate the premises

The club’s lawyers urged the court to order status quo asserting the Centre, following the issuance of the orders, was attempting to take over the premises. They argued that the order was legally unsustainable and “perverse” as it had been passed without issuing any prior notice to the Club.

A bench of justice Swarana Kanta Sharma however issued notice and told the club’s lawyers Diya Kapur and Nakul Gandhi, “Sorry, I don’t think so. I will ask them (Centre) to file a short reply.”

In its petition, the club had also alleged that the derecognition order was “malicious”, unconstitutional and amounted to a brazen colourable exercise of administrative power. It contended that the Centre was seeking to “weaponise” its own administrative failures and the alleged misdeeds of its ad hoc committee to forcibly dispossess the Club and extinguish the historic institution, in violation of Article 14 of the Constitution.

The matter will now be heard on August 24.

CCS, formerly known as Talkatora Club, was established in 1919. It operates from Park Street near Talkatora Road. The club caters to serving and retired central government employees. Its recognition was withdrawn on February 24, which DoPT upheld on July 14.