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HIGH COURT OF DELHI
Date of Decision: 07.04.2025
UNION OF INDIA .....Petitioner
Through: Ms. Manisha Agarwal Narain, CGSC
Through: Mr. Anuj Kumar Agarwal and Dr. Kavita Singh, Advs.
HON'BLE MS. JUSTICE RENU BHATNAGAR NAVIN CHAWLA, J. (ORAL)
JUDGMENT
1. Allowed, subject to all just exceptions. CM APPL. 5603/2025(Exemption)
2. This petition has been filed by the petitioner, challenging the Order dated 29.11.2018 passed by the learned Central Administrative Tribunal, Principal Bench, New Delhi (hereinafter referred to as, ‘Tribunal’) in Original Application No. 4035/2016 (hereinafter referred to as, ‘OA’) titled Navneet Rajan Wasan, IPS (Retd), v. Union of India, whereby the OA filed by the respondent was allowed by the learned Tribunal directing the petitioner to extend the benefit of the Apex Scale of Pay to the respondent, as was done in the cases of Sh. P. Mukherjee and Ms. Meeran C. Borwankar, with the attendant W.P.(C) 1139/2025 AND CM APPL. 5602/2025 & CM APPL. 5809/2025 benefits.
3. It is pertinent to mention here that this petition has been filed with a delay of 1905 days. Therefore, this Court vide its order dated 17.02.2025, taking into account such a huge delay, directed the petitioner to file an additional affidavit explaining the reasons for such delay.
4. In confidence of the above order, the petitioners have now filed an affidavit dated 18.02.2025, wherein the only contention raised for explaining the aforesaid delay is as under:
5. We do not find the above explanation sufficient enough to justify such a huge delay that has occurred in filing of the present petition.
6. The petition is, accordingly, dismissed on account of delay and laches, leaving the question of law open to be determined in appropriate proceedings.
NAVIN CHAWLA, J RENU BHATNAGAR, J APRIL 7, 2025 p Click here to check corrigendum, if any