Delhi High Court Seeks Government Response On Ambassador Hotel Eviction Notice

The Delhi High Court on July 9, 2026, asked the Central Government to respond to a petition filed by the owner of the Ambassador Hotel challenging a show-cause notice for eviction from its 7.58-acre premises at Sujan Singh Park in New Delhi.

The court issued a notice on the petition filed by Sir Sobha Singh and Sons Private Limited and granted the Central Government three weeks to file its reply.

During the hearing, the counsel for the petitioner expressed apprehension that an eviction order could be passed on July 10, 2026, by the estate officer. The petitioner urged the court to direct the estate officer to decide on the maintainability of the proceedings under the Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Act before moving forward.

However, the High Court declined to interfere with the ongoing statutory proceedings. The court stated that the statutory authorities would handle the proceedings themselves.

In the petition, Sir Sobha Singh and Sons Private Limited challenged a June 11, 2026, show-cause notice issued by the estate officer of the Land and Development Office. The notice asked why the owners should not be evicted from the 7.58-acre Sujan Singh Park (north) premises.

The petitioner contended that the estate officer has no jurisdiction in the matter because the company is not an "unauthorised occupant," and argued that the show-cause notice must be quashed.

According to the petition, the company holds a registered "government grant" dated October 8, 1945, for the land. The government's previous attempt to "re-enter" the property in 1960, after the determination of the perpetual lease, was declared "wrong and illegal" by a court in 2009.

Although an appellate court allowed the Centre's appeal against the 2009 decision on June 9, the petitioner's subsequent appeal is currently pending in the High Court. The matter is scheduled to be heard next on August 17, 2026.