Sources confirm that the Delhi Imperial Club, a century-old institution frequented by British diplomats and India’s elite, faces an imminent closure order. Uncovered documents reveal a bitter dispute over unpaid taxes and alleged financial irregularities amounting to £12 million. The club, nestled in the heart of Lutyens’ Delhi, has long been a haven for backchannel deals and off-the-record meetings between British officials and Indian power brokers.
Its shutdown would sever a critical artery of informal diplomacy. My investigation traces the money: a labyrinth of shell companies registered in the British Virgin Islands, payments routed through Dubai, and a mysterious fire that destroyed the club’s ledgers last year. The British High Commission has remained silent, but sources inside the Foreign Office confirm they are “deeply concerned” about losing this discreet venue.
The club’s chairman, a retired Indian army general, insists it’s a “witch hunt” driven by political rivals. But the tax department’s commissioner told me off the record: “This is just the beginning. We have evidence of money laundering that goes right to the top.
” The clock is ticking. A court hearing next week will decide the club’s fate. If it closes, the city loses not just a bar but a den of unaccountable power.
