The high walls and manicured lawns of a 3.81-acre farmhouse in Bijwasan—once home to GMR Group’s top boss—are now at the center of a dramatic courtroom eviction. The Delhi High Court has ruled that Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) and other GMR-linked companies must vacate the lavish Pushpanjali Farms property, siding with its new owner, Onkar Infotech.
The verdict hinged on a technicality with serious bite: the lease deed signed in April 2020 was never registered, making it legally worthless. Justice Subramonium Prasad declared that the occupants were mere month-to-month tenants, stripped of their claim the moment Onkar served them with a termination notice last July.
The estate itself is no ordinary rental. Spread over nearly four acres, it boasts a 30,000-square-foot residence, sweeping lawns, an outhouse, and a swimming pool installed for the comfort of DIAL’s CMD. The rent once touched nearly ₹46 lakh a month, an arrangement originally inked with Indus Sor Urja, the previous owner. But in May 2024, Indus Sor Urja sold the property to Onkar Infotech for ₹115 crore, complete with a hefty ₹9 crore in stamp duty.
Though GMR’s companies acknowledged the transfer, even shifting the ₹2.72 crore security deposit to Onkar, the peace didn’t last. Onkar insisted the unregistered lease was void and pushed for eviction. Post-dated rent cheques were sent back, the demand was simple: hand over the keys.
GMR fought back, arguing the land was agricultural and shielded by the Delhi Land Reforms Act, which bars civil eviction suits. They also claimed an extension letter stretched their lease until 2028. But the Court wasn’t convinced. Since the estate was being used as a plush residence with non-agricultural development, the agricultural land defense collapsed.
In his ruling, Justice Prasad cut through the legal smokescreen: no registered lease, no rights beyond month-to-month tenancy. Once terminated, continued occupation was unlawful. A full trial wasn’t even necessary.
With that, possession was decreed in favor of Onkar Infotech—sending the GMR CMD’s farmhouse retreat from boardroom asset to courtroom defeat.
