Jagpal Singh v. Chairman, Administrative Committee, U.P. Milk Union & Dairy Federation Centralized Services
Background
Jagpal Singh had earlier lost before the Supreme Court in Civil Appeal No. 49 of 2021, where the Court found that the disciplinary punishment imposed on him by the Administrative Committee was based on a correct appreciation of facts and law, and set aside a High Court decision that had gone in his favour. Singh then filed this review petition against that judgment, 62 days late, along with a separate application seeking action against the respondents under Section 340 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (which deals with offences relating to the giving of false evidence).
Decision Breakdown
The Court condoned the delay in filing the review petition but rejected the request to have it heard in open court, and went on to dismiss the review petition itself, finding no error apparent on the face of the record that would justify interfering with its earlier judgment: the narrow standard applicable in review jurisdiction. It also dismissed, as devoid of merit, the separate application seeking action against the respondents under Section 340 CrPC.
Lesson Learnt
A review petition is not a second opportunity to re-argue a case: the Supreme Court will only reopen its own judgment if there is a glaring, self-evident error on the record, not simply because a party remains dissatisfied with the outcome.