Centre Initiates Eviction Against Sujan Singh Park North Near Khan Market
The Central Government has initiated eviction proceedings against Sujan Singh Park North, a prime residential property located near Khan Market in Delhi. The action, taken under the Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Act, marks the latest development in a legal dispute that has lasted nearly 70 years.
The 7.58-acre complex is managed by its original builder, Sir Sobha Singh and Sons. It currently houses the Ambassador hotel, which the government has cited as one of the key lease violations prompting the eviction proceedings.
Originally conceived during the British era, the housing project was designed to provide residential accommodation for 'officers and non-officers of good standing.' In December 1944, during World War 2, the British government allotted two adjoining plots of 7.58 acres each—Sujan Singh Park North and South—at the junction of Cornwallis Road (now Subramania Bharati Marg) and Humayun Road.
Under the initial understanding, the private enterprise Sir Sobha Singh and Sons undertook construction at its own cost, while the government agreed to grant a perpetual lease upon completion. The government retained the right to use the entire building during the war and for one year thereafter. Following that period, the government was entitled to require that up to 50 percent of the flats be leased to officials named by them at a fair rent.
Two nearly identical lease agreements were signed for the plots on October 8, 1945. These agreements included a clause stating that no forfeiture or re-entry could be carried out by the government unless it served a written notice to the lessees specifying the breach and giving them an opportunity to remedy it.
The complex has historically served as the home of Sir Sobha Singh’s family, including his son, the writer Khushwant Singh. However, the government's current eviction push focuses on the northern block and the commercial operations of the Ambassador hotel on the premises, which it claims violate the original lease terms.
