Shimla, March 6 -- The Himachal Pradesh High Court has dismissed four writ petitions filed by the Union Government challenging the orders of the Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT), Chandigarh, Regional Circuit Bench at Shimla.
The court, citing "delay and laches," observed that the government could not challenge the orders at its "own whims and fancies" after more than two years of inaction.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice G.S. Sandhawalia and Justice Ranjan Sharma ruled that though there is no prescribed limitation period for filing such writ petitions under Article 226 of the Constitution, the Union of India cannot be given a "free play" to delay challenges indefinitely.
The AFT had granted pension benefits to certain armed forces o...