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Union of India & Ors. vs. All India Naval Draughtsmen Association & Ors.

Writ Petition (Civil) · 2026:DHC:9032-DBDecided 9 Oct 2026New Delhi Bench
W.P.(C) 15076/2026CNR: DLHC010491082026
Justice C. Hari Shankar · Justice Nivedita Anil Sharma

Background

The Union of India filed this writ petition challenging a Tribunal order that had ruled in favour of an association of Naval Draughtsmen on the applicability of certain government Office Memoranda (OMs) governing their service benefits.

Decision Breakdown

The Court noted that the very same legal question about whether these OMs applied had already been decided in two earlier cases involving similarly situated employees, and the government's own challenges to both of those rulings (via Special Leave Petitions) had been dismissed by the Supreme Court. Finding no basis to take a different view now, the Court held this was not a case deserving interference and dismissed the Union's writ petition in limine (at the threshold, without detailed hearing).

Lesson Learnt

Once a question about employees' entitlement under a government policy has been settled by the courts and the Supreme Court has refused to disturb it, the government cannot keep re-litigating the identical issue against other similarly placed employees.

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