Delhi High Court

UNION OF INDIA & ORS v. EX MWO HFL AMRIT LAL SEKHRI

Court: Delhi High Court
Case number: W.P.(C)/1279/2025
Date of judgment: 5 August 2025
Petitioner / Appellant: UNION OF INDIA & ORS
Respondent: EX MWO HFL AMRIT LAL SEKHRI
CNR: DLHC011044222024
Result: Dismissed

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W.P.(C) 13731/2024 and connected matters Page 1 of 17

$~54 to 74

* IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI + W.P.(C) 13731/2024, CM APPL. 57490/2024 UNION OF INDIA AND ORS .....Petitioners Through: Mr. N.K. Aggarwal, Sr. PC with Ms. Sanjana Antil, Adv. for UOI with Sgt Manish Kumar Singh and Sgt Mritunjay (Air Force Legal Cell)

versus

EX SGT BABU LAL YADAV .....Respondent Through: Mr. Praveen Kumar, Adv.

+ W.P.(C) 804/2025, CM APPL. 3973/2025

UNION OF INDIA & ORS. .....Petitioners Through: Mr. Jagdish Chandra , CGSC with Mr. Sujeet Kumar Choudhary , Advs.

with Sgt Manish Kumar Singh and Sgt

Mritunjay Air Force (Legal Cell)

versus

EX MWO HFO KAILASH CHAND 649518 .....Respondent Through: Mr. Ajit Kakkar and Mr. Aman Kumar, Advs.

Ms. Deepika Sheoran and Mr. Baljeet Singh, Advs.

+ W.P.(C) 821/2025, CM APPL. 4062/2025

UNION OF INDIA & ORS. .....Petitioners Through: Ms. Radhika Bishwajit Dubey, CGSC with Ms. Gurleen Kaur Waraich, Mr.

Kritarth Upadhyay, Mr . Vivek Sharma, Ms.

Khushi and Mr. Saksham Sharma, Adv s.

W.P.(C) 13731/2024 and connected matters Page 2 of 17

with Sgt Manish Kumar Singh and Sgt

Mritunjay Air Force (Legal Cell)

versus

HFO RETD HRADYESH KUMAR

VARSHNEY .....Respondent

Through: Mr. Praveen Kumar, Adv.

+ W.P.(C) 824/2025, CM APPL. 4067/2025

UNION OF INDIA & ORS. .....Petitioners Through: Mr. Piyush Gupta CGSC with Mr. Atishay Jain, Mr . Abhay Thukral, Ms.

Sakshi Chhabra and Ms. Vasudha Kumar ,

Advs. with Sgt Manish Kumar Singh and

Sgt Mritunjay Air Force (Legal Cell)

versus

EX WO SADANANDA RAUTRAY 633050 R .....Respondent Through:

+ W.P.(C) 990/2025, CM APPL. 4935/2025

UNION OF INDIA & ORS. .....Petitioners Through: Mr. Jagdish Chandra , CGSC with Mr. Sujeet Kumar Choudhary , Adv.

with Sgt Manish Kumar Singh and Sgt

Mritunjay Air Force (Legal Cell)

versus

EX SGT MUKESH KUMAR PANDEY

(SER NO 795766-A) .....Respondent Through:

+ W.P.(C) 1019/2025, CM APPL. 5057/2025

W.P.(C) 13731/2024 and connected matters Page 3 of 17

UNION OF INDIA & ORS. .....Petitioners Through: Sgt Manish Kumar Singh and Sgt Mritunjay Air Force (Legal Cell)

versus

EX MWO VIJENDER SINGH TEOTIA .....Respondent Through:

+ W.P.(C) 1031/2025, CM APPL. 5106/2025

UNION OF INDIA & ORS. .....Petitioners Through: Mr. Raghvendra Shukla Sr . PC for UOI with Sgt Manish Kumar Singh and Sgt Mritunjay Air Force (Legal Cell)

versus

634793 HFL NARAYANASAMY

NAMMALWAR (RETD.) .....Respondent Through: Mr. Manoj Kumar Gupta and Ms. Esha Mehrotra, Advs.

+ W.P.(C) 1277/2025, CM APPL. 6317/2025

UNION OF INDIA THROUGH ITS SECRETARY,

& ORS. .....Petitioners

Through: Mr. Theepa Murugesan, S r. PC

with Ms. Sanya Bhatia , Adv. for UOI with Sgt Manish Kumar Singh and Sgt Mritunjay Air Force (Legal Cell)

versus

772697 SGT PINAKI CHOUDHURY(RETD) .....Respondent Through: Mr. Baljeet Singh and Mr. A.K.

Chaudhary, Advs.

+ W.P.(C) 1279/2025, CM APPL. 6321/2025

W.P.(C) 13731/2024 and connected matters Page 4 of 17

UNION OF INDIA & ORS. .....Petitioners Through: Ms. Seema Gulati, Sr. PC with Sgt Manish Kumar Singh and Sgt Mritunjay Air Force (Legal Cell)

versus

EX MWO HFL AMRIT LAL SEKHRI .....Respondent Through: Mr. Baljeet Singh and Mr. A.K.

Chaudhary, Advs.

+ W.P.(C) 1468/2025, CM APPL. 7108/2025

UNION OF INDIA & ORS. .....Petitioners Through: Mr. Satya Ranjan Swain, Sr. PC with Mr. Kautilya Birat, Mr. Ankush Kapoor and Mr. Vishwadeep Chandrakar , Advs.

with Sgt Manish Kumar Singh and Sgt

Mritunjay Air Force (Legal Cell)

versus

GP CAPT VINAY SAREEN .....Respondent Through: Mr. Ajai Bhalla and Ms. Aditi Laxman, Advs.

+ W.P.(C) 1472/2025, CM APPL. 7114/2025

UNION OF INDIA AND ORS .....Petitioners Through: Mr. Shubham Mahajan , Sr. PC for UOI with Sgt Manish Kumar Singh and Sgt Mritunjay Air Force (Legal Cell)

versus

EX WO SURENDRA KUMAR SINGH 676264 .....Respondent Through: Mr. Shiv Ram Singh, Mr.

Girindra Kumar Pathak and Mr. Hem

Kumar, Advs.

W.P.(C) 13731/2024 and connected matters Page 5 of 17

+ W.P.(C) 1707/2025, CM APPL. 8249/2025

UNION OF INDIA & ORS. .....Petitioners Through: Mr. Jagdish Chandra , CGSC with Mr. Sujeet Kumar Choudhary , Adv.

with Sgt Manish Kumar Singh and Sgt

Mritunjay Air Force (Legal Cell)

versus

EX MWO BIJAY KUMAR SAH

(SER NO 628234 B) .....Respondent Through: Mr. Tatsat Shukla and Mr. Ram Jivan Dixit, Advs.

+ W.P.(C) 1724/2025, CM APPL. 8338/2025

UNION OF INDIA AND ORS .....Petitioners Through: Mr. Sushil Kumar Pandey , Sr.

PC with Sgt Manish Kumar Singh and Sgt

Mritunjay Air Force (Legal Cell)

versus

EX NC E RATAN LAL DAS .....Respondent Through: Mr. Pushpendra Kumar Dhaka, Mr. Abhishek Kumar, Mr. Sumit Sharma and Ms. Arti Kumar, Advs.

+ W.P.(C) 1725/2025, CM APPL. 8340/2025

UNION OF INDIA ORS .....Petitioners Through: Ms. Archana Sharma, Sr. PC with Sgt Manish Kumar Singh and Sgt Mritunjay Air Force (Legal Cell)

versus

W.P.(C) 13731/2024 and connected matters Page 6 of 17

EX MWO SHYAM SINGH .....Respondent Through: Ms. Deepika Sheoran and Mr.

Baljeet Singh, Advs.

+ W.P.(C) 1885/2025, CM APPL. 8958/2025

UNION OF INDIA & ORS. .....Petitioners Through: Mr. Vineet Dhanda , CGSC for UOI with Sgt Manish Kumar Singh and Sgt Mritunjay Air Force (Legal Cell)

versus

EX WO DUBEY AWDHASH NARAYAN

SERVICE NO 662681 .....Respondent Through: Ms. Deepika Sheoran and Mr.

Baljeet Singh, Advs.

UNION OF INDIA & ORS. .....Petitioners Through: Mr. P.S. Singh, CGSC with Ms.

Minakshi Singh, Ms. Annu Singh and Mr.

Ashutosh Bharti, Advs.

versus

HFO RAMANAND SAINI .....Respondent Through: Mr. Manoj Kumar Gupta and Ms. Esha Mehrotra, Advs.

UNION OF INDIA & ORS. .....Petitioners Through: Mr. Jivesh Kumar Tiwari, Sr.

PC with Sgt Manish Kumar Singh and Sgt

Mritunjay Air Force (Legal Cell)

versus

W.P.(C) 13731/2024 and connected matters Page 7 of 17

EX SGT ANIL KUMAR .....Respondent Through:

UNION OF INDIA AND ORS .....Petitioners Through: Mr. Ravi Kant Srivastava , Sr.

PC with Mr. Robert Laishram and Mr.

Bhupender, Adv s. with Sgt Manish Kumar

Singh and Sgt Mritunjay Air Force (Legal Cell)

versus

JWO MADAN LAL KAUSHIK .....Respondent Through: Mr. Devendra Kumar, Mr. Raj Kumar and Mr. Brajesh Kumar, Advs.

UNION OF INDIA & ORS. .....Petitioners Through: Mr. Raj Kumar, CGSC with Sgt Manish Kumar Singh and Sgt Mritunjay Air Force (Legal Cell)

versus

EX SGT SOMNATH PAL (S.NO. 776890-L) .....Respondent Through: Mr. Kritendra Tiwari, Adv.

+ W.P.(C) 2524/2025, CM APPL. 11925/2025 UNION OF INDIA & ORS. .....Petitioners Through: Ms. Suruchi Mittal, Sr. PC with Major Anish Muralidhar Army

versus

W.P.(C) 13731/2024 and connected matters Page 8 of 17

EX SUB SHAMSHER SINGH .....Respondent Through: Mr. Devendra Kumar, Mr. Raj Kumar and Mr. Brajesh Kumar, Advs.

+ W.P.(C) 2732/2025, CM APPL. 13019/2025 UNION OF INDIA & ORS. .....Petitioners Through: Mr. Jitesh Vikram Srivastava , Sr. PC with Sgt Manish Kumar Singh and Sgt Mritunjay Air Force (Legal Cell)

versus

EX-SGT, AKHILESH KUMAR MISHRA

(CLK/PA) .....Respondent

Through: Mr. Praveen Kumar, Adv.

CORAM:

HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE C. HARI SHANKAR

HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE OM PRAKASH SHUKLA

JUDGMENT (ORAL)

% 05.08.2025

C. HARI SHANKAR, J.

1. These writ petitions deal with the entitlement of the respondents to disability pension. The Union of India assails decisions of the Armed Forces Tribunal, whereby disability pension stands granted to the respondents.

2. These cases stand covered by as on date more than eighty judgments passed by this Bench as well as by a Coordinate Bench of this Court. They also stand covered by the judgment of the Supreme

W.P.(C) 13731/2024 and connected matters Page 9 of 17

Court in Dharamvir Singh v UOI 1 as well as the recent decision of the Supreme Court in Vijender Singh v UOI2.

3. Against one of these decisions, which was rendered by us in UOI v Ex Sub Gawas Anil Madso 3, an SLP has been preferred before the Supreme Court in which notice alone has been issued and no interim orders have been passed.

4. We are not informed that any SLP has been preferred against any of the other matters passed by this Bench or the Coordinate Bench.

5. Learned Counsel for the Union of India in all these matters fairly acknowledged that the controversy stands covered by the above decisions.

6. In its recent decision in Union Territory of Ladakh v Jammu & Kashmir National Conference 4, the Supreme Court has deprecated the practice of hierarchically lower Courts including the High Courts keeping matters pending merely because some issue is pending before the Supreme Court. Even where the correctness of a judgment has been doubted by the Supreme Court, the decision in Jammu & Kashmir National Conference directs High Courts to implement the law as it stands and not to adjourn matters awaiting the outcome of the appeals in the Supreme Court.

1 (2013) 7 SCC 316

2 2025 SCC OnLIne SC 895

3 2025 SCC OnLine 2018

4 2023 SCC OnLine SC 1140

W.P.(C) 13731/2024 and connected matters Page 10 of 17

7. We have taken stock of this judgment in para 60 of the judgment in Gawas Anil Madso.

8. We, therefore, proceed to decide these writ petitions on the basis of the decisions taken by this Court.

9. A tabular statement of the position as it emerges in all these writ petitions, including the decisions by which the individual writ petitions, may be provided thus:

S No WP(C) No. Name of

Respondent

Disability Years

service

Reasoning given

by the RMB

1. W.P.(C)

13731/2024

Ex SGT

Babu Lal

Yadav

Central

Retinal Vein

Occlusion

(Left Eye)

33 Onset of disability

on Oct 2012 at

peace station Sirsa.

It is associated with

hypertension &

hyper-viscosity

syndrome in

leukaemia and

polycythaemia

vera. The vision of

right eye have

improved. No

stress and strain of

service. Hence,

NANA as per para

24( d) (ii) GMO

2008.

2. W.P.(C)

804/2025

Ex MWO

HFO

Kailash

Chand

649518

i. Diabetes

Type-II

ii.Primary

Hypertension

37 Onset in peace and

served in peace as

per Paras 26 and 43

of GMO 2008.

Hence, NANA

W.P.(C) 13731/2024 and connected matters Page 11 of 17

3. W.P.(C)

821/2025

HFO Retd.

Hradyesh

Kumar

Varshney

i. Diabetes

Type-II

ii.Primary

Hypertension

iii. Coronary

Artery

Disease

37 Life Style Disease,

Onset of disability

white in peace. No

delay in diagnosis /

treatment of indl.

No close time

connection with

HAA/Cl Ops/Fd

area as per Para 26

and 43 of Ch VI of

GMO 2008 and

charter of duties dt.

22 January 2015.

4. W.P.(C)

824/2025

Ex WO

Sadananda

Rautaray

633050 R

Diabetes

Type-II

36 Life Style Disease,

onset on May 2010

while in peace

area. No delay in

diagnosis/treatment

of individual.

No close time

connection-HAA/

CIOps /Fd Area as

per Para 26 of Ch

VI of GMO 2008.

5. W.P.(C)

990/2025

Ex SGT

Mukesh

Kumar

Pandey

Primary

Hypertension

20 Onset of disease in

peace area at New

Delhi. No · history

of infection,

service-related

trauma/close time

association with

stress of Fd/HAA/

ClOps service.

Hence NANA as

per para 43 of

GMO 2008.

6. W.P.(C)

1019/2025

Ex MWO

Vijender

Singh

Teotia

Central

Serous

Chorioretinop

-athy Right

Eye

38 Disease-progressed

without any link to

service conditions/

stress and no

evidence of delay

or adverse factors,

is deemed NANA

as per para 24(d)(i)

W.P.(C) 13731/2024 and connected matters Page 12 of 17

of GMO 2008.

7. W.P.(C)

1031/2025

HFL

Narayanasa

Nammalwar

(Retd.)

Primary

Hypertension

37 An idiopathic and

lifestyle disease

onset in peace

station and served

thereafter in peace

station.

8. W.P.(C)

1277/2025

SGT Pinaki

Choudhary

(Retd.)

Primary

Hypertension

23 Life style disease.

Onset on February

2016 in peace area.

No close time

connection with -

HAA/

ClOps/Fd area as

per Para 43 of Ch

VI of GMO 2008.

9. W.P.(C)

1279/2025

EX MWO

HFL Amrit

Lal Sekhri

ECG

Abnormality

(LBBB)

39 Neither attributable

to nor aggravated

by Mil service as

per Para 20 of

GMO 2008

10. W.P.(C)

1468/2025

GP Capt.

Vinay

Sareen

i.Diabetes

Mellitus Type

ii.Primary

Hypertension

iii.Dyslipidae

-mia

33 Disease (i) and (ii)

is life style

disorder. O nset

while in peace

area. No delay in

diagnosis/treatment

of individual.

No close time

connection with -

HAA/ClOps/Fd

area as per Para 26

and 43 of Ch VI of

GMO 2008.

11. W.P.(C)

1472/2025

EX WO

Surendra

Kumar

Singh

Primary

Hypertension

37 Life style disorder.

Onset of disability

in peace -area

(Allahabad).

No close time

connection with -

HAA/ClOps/Fd

area. No delay in

W.P.(C) 13731/2024 and connected matters Page 13 of 17

diagnosis and there

was no stress/strain

of service Hence,

NANA as per Para

43 of Ch VI of

GMO 2008.

12. W.P.(C)

1707/2025

EX MWO

Bijay

Kumar Sah

CAD AWMI 37 No service related

trauma/stress or

delay in diagnosis

or treatment. The

condition is held

neither attributable

to nor aggravated

by service as per

Para 47 of Chapter

VI of GMO 2008

and Charter of

Duties dated 16

January 2014.

13. W.P.(C)

1724/2025

EX NC E

Ratan Lal

Das

i.Diabetes

Mellitus Type

ii.Primary

Hypertension

29 Disease (i) and (ii)

is life style

disorder. Onset

while in peace

area. No delay in

diagnosis/treatment

of individual.

No close time

connection with -

HAA/ClOps/Fd

area as per Para 26

and 43 of Ch VI of

GMO 2008.

14. W.P.(C)

1725/2025

EX MWO

Shyam

Singh

Primary

Hypertension

37 Life style disease.

Onset of disability

in peace area.

No close time

connection with -

HAA/ClOps/Fd

area as per Para 43

of Ch VI of GMO

2008.

15. W.P.(C)

1885/2025

EX WO

Dubey

Awdhash

i.Diabetes

Mellitus

Type II

37 Life Style Disease,

onset on February

2016 of in peace

W.P.(C) 13731/2024 and connected matters Page 14 of 17

Narayan

ii.Primary

Hypertension

area. No close time

connection with -

HAA/ClOps/Fd

area as per Paras

26 and 43 of Ch VI

of GMO 2008.

16. W.P.(C)

1907/2025

HFO

Ramanand

Saini

i.Pulmonary

Thrombo

Embolism

with

Pulmonary

Hypertension

ii.Primary

Hypertension

37 Onset on Oct 2009

while posted to

Peace area. An

idiopathic disorder

and no delay in

diagnosis. There is

no close time

association with

stress or strain of

service. Hence

NANA.

17. W.P.(C)

1986/2025

EX SGT

Anil Kumar

CAD ASMI 20 Onset on 13

November 2003 in

peace area.

No service related

trauma/stress or

delay in diagnosis

or treatment. The

condition is held

neither attributable

to nor aggravated

by service.

18. W.P.(C)

2011/2025

JWO

Madan Lal

Kaushik

Primary

Hypertension

37 Aggravation is

conceded when the

onset occurs while

serving in Fd/CI

Ops/HAA. Hence,

NANA as per Para

43 of GMO 2008.

19. W.P.(C)

2093/2025

EX SGT

Somnath

Pal

Primary

Hypertension

20 Onset in peace area

and remains in

peace area, hence

NANA vide Para

43 of GMO 2008.

20. W.P.(C)

2524/2025

EX Sub

Shamsheer

Singh

Primary

Hypertension

30 Neither attributable

to nor aggravated

by Mil service as

W.P.(C) 13731/2024 and connected matters Page 15 of 17

per Para 43 of

GMO 2008

21. W.P.(C)

2732/2025

EX SGT

Akhilesh

Kumar

Mishra

Primary

Hypertension

19 Life style disease.

Onset of disability

in peace area.

No close time

connection with -

HAA/ClOps/Fd

area as per Para 43

of Ch VI of GMO

2008.

10. These appeals stand covered, in identical circumstances, by several decisions rendered by this Court, in which disability pension was denied on identical grounds. Some of the representative decisions may be cited thus:

(i) Primary Hypertension

(a) UOI v Rajveender Singh Mallhi5

(b) UOI v Ravish Babu6

(d) UOI v Koutharapu Srinivasa8

(e) UOI v Jyoti Kumar Singh9

(f) UOI v Lt Col V Raveendran Kutty10

(ii) Diabetes Mellitus Type II

(a) UOI v Vijay Kumar11

5 2025 SCC OnLine Del 3956

6 2025 SCC OnLine Del 3957

7 2025 SCC OnLine Del 4806

8 2025 SCC OnLine Del 4292

9 2025 SCC OnLine Del 4222

10 2025 SCC OnLine Del 3004

11 2025 SCC OnLine Del 3969

W.P.(C) 13731/2024 and connected matters Page 16 of 17

(b) UOI v Ashok Kumar Pandey12

(d) UOI v Rajesh Kumar14

(e) UOI v GP Capt. Santosh Kumar15

(f) UOI v EX SGT Kunal Palit16

(iii) Coronary Artery Disease

(a) UOI v EX JWO Dharmendra Prasad17

(b) UOI v MWO Jahangeer Alam18

(d) UOI V EX JWO SK Srivastava20

(iv) Primary Hypertension with Retinopathy

UOI v EX WO Hira Lal Prasad21

(v) Diabetes Mellitus Type II and Primary Hypertension

(a) UOI v Mani Lal Prasad22

(b) UOI v HFO MWO Raj Bhanu Singh23

12 2025 SCC OnLine Del 2908

13 2025 SCC OnLine Del 2910

14 WP C 9470/2025 dt. 10 July 2025

15 2025 SCC OnLine Del 3218

16 2025 SCC OnLine Del 4961

17 2025 SCC OnLine Del 2549

18 2025 SCC OnLine Del 2434

19 2025 SCC OnLine Del 3583

20 2025 SCC OnLine Del 4909

21 2025 SCC OnLine Del 2689

22 2025 SCC OnLine Del 3958

23 2025 SCC OnLine Del 3223

W.P.(C) 13731/2024 and connected matters Page 17 of 17

(d) UOI v GP Capt Girish Kumar Johri (Retd)25

11. The reasons for our disinclination to interfere with the decision of the Tribunal are forthcoming in the individual judgements passed by us, and we do not deem it necessary to burden this order by a reiteration thereof. Suffice it to state that learned Counsel for the UOI, in these petitions, too, was unable to urge that these cases are not covered by our earlier decisions. In fact, as already noted, they fairly conceded that the issues stood covered.

12. Following the aforesaid, all these writ petitions are dismissed.

The petitioners are directed to implement the orders passed by the Tribunal within a period of eight weeks from today.

C. HARI SHANKAR, J.

OM PRAKASH SHUKLA, J.

AUGUST 5, 2025/aky

24 2025 SCC OnLine Del 4840

25 2025 SCC OnLine Del 4960