Court imposes costs on responsible officer, grants liberty for fresh filing with complete records
In a recent judgment, the Delhi High Court has dismissed a petition filed by the Union of India due to a significant delay and incomplete documentation. The petition sought to challenge the orders passed by the Central Administrative Tribunal, Principal Bench, New Delhi. The case revolved around an Original Application filed by Inder Pal, which was decided in his favor on October 20, 2022. The Union of India subsequently sought a review of the decision, which was dismissed by the Tribunal on December 7, 2022.
The Delhi High Court Bench, comprising Justices Anil Kshetarpal and Amit Mahajan, noted that the petition was filed only in December 2025, marking a delay of three years from the date of the tribunal's order. Furthermore, the petition was found lacking as it failed to include one of the critical orders under challenge, specifically the order dated December 7, 2022.
In its judgment, the court expressed its frustration with what it described as "half-baked petitions" being filed, which compelled the court to dismiss the current petition. In addition, the court imposed a cost of Rs. 25,000 on the officer responsible for filing the incomplete petition. This amount is to be paid to the Poor Patients Fund at AIIMS, New Delhi.
Despite the dismissal, the court granted the Union of India the liberty to file a fresh petition, provided it includes all relevant records necessary for adjudication. The court stipulated that proof of payment of the imposed costs must be filed within two weeks as a condition for any future filing.
This judgment underscores the importance of timely and complete submissions in legal proceedings and serves as a reminder of the potential repercussions for governmental departments that fail to adhere to procedural requirements.
Bottom Line:
Filing a petition after an inordinate delay and without attaching relevant documents can lead to its dismissal with costs imposed on the responsible officer.
Statutory provision(s): Administrative Law.
Union of India v. Inder Pal, (Delhi)(DB) : Law Finder Doc id # 2849942
