Lutyens land tussle: Centre takes possession of 15 acre Jaipur Polo Ground

Central government officials entered the historic Jaipur Polo Ground on Saturday morning, erecting notices to take formal physical possession of the prime 15.20-acre Lutyens’ Delhi property. 

The enforcement action by the Land and Development Office (L&DO), which operates under the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, follows weeks of tense legal maneuvering between the Centre and the Indian Polo Association (IPA). 

The takeover was executed less than 24 hours after a Delhi sessions court declined to grant the sport’s governing body interim protection or a stay against the eviction order. Upon taking control, officials installed prominent signage declaring the land as government property and warning against any unauthorised entry, encroachment, or construction. 

The administrative push began on May 20, 2026, when the L&DO issued an eviction order directing the IPA to hand over the sprawling premises located in the high-security Race Course area. The Centre contends that the lease for the land expired in 1993, rendering the IPA’s continued presence unauthorised.

While the government has kept specific redevelopment blueprints confidential, it defended its decision in court by stating the land is required for a “larger public purpose and benefit,” including the strengthening of defense infrastructure and other vital public security functions. 

The legal battle escalated earlier in the week when the dispute reached the Delhi High Court. On June 8, Justice Neena Bansal Krishna expressed sharp environmental concerns over the loss of central Delhi’s open spaces, noting orally that “Delhi will suffocate” and asking the government counsel, “All of us will suffocate and die. For all the years these have existed, the government never felt the need for the land?” 

Despite these observations, the High Court refrained from granting an explicit stay, recording the Centre’s assurance that no coercive steps would be taken until June 12, and directed the appropriate district court to urgently decide on the IPA’s stay application. 

On Friday, June 12, Vacation Judge Dhirendra Rana of the Patiala House Courts officially declined the IPA’s request to halt the eviction process under the Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Act, citing judicial discipline and the fact that higher courts had not granted ad-interim relief. With the expiration of the June 12 deadline, central authorities moved swiftly the following morning to secure the perimeter. 

The IPA has strongly resisted the takeover, asserting that the ground serves as its “principal and only operational polo venue” in the country and functions as a critical ecological asset. 

“The Indian Polo Association maintains that the eviction is wrongful, arbitrary, and contrary to law,” said Major Nirvikar Singh (Retd), counsel for the IPA. “IPA is examining the order and will take all appropriate steps available in law to protect its rights and interests. As the matter remains ongoing, we do not wish to comment further at this stage.” 

The acquisition of the Jaipur Polo Ground is part of a broader, synchronized campaign by the Central government to scrutinise and reclaim expansive public land parcels held by legacy institutions in Lutyens’ Delhi, with parallel eviction proceedings currently targeting the neighboring Delhi Gymkhana Club and the Delhi Race Club. 

While the Centre has successfully asserted physical control over the polo venue, the underlying legal dispute remains active. The sessions court has directed the Union of India to file its formal reply to the IPA’s comprehensive appeal, listing the matter for its next hearing on June 17.