DIRECTORATE OF EDUCATION vs RAMJAS SCHOOL

Judgment text excerpt

* IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI Date of decision: 20.01.2025 + LPA 488/2022 and CM APPL. 36930/2022-Stay, CM APPL.36929/2022-Delay DIRECTORATE OF EDUCATION .....Appellant Through: Mr. Udit Malik, ASC (Civil) for GNCTD with Ms. Rima Rao and Ms. Palak Sharma, Advocates. Versus RAMJAS SCHOOL .....Respondent Through: Mr. Kamal Gupta, Mr. Sparsh Aggarwal, Ms. Yosha Dutt, Ms. Rashi Agarwal and Mr. Aaditya Dhull, Advocates. CORAM: HON'BLE MS. JUSTICE REKHA PALLI HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE SAURABH BANERJEE SAURABH BANERJEE, J (ORAL) 1. The present appeal under Clause X of the Letters Patent Appeal seeks to assail the order dated 20.05.2019 passed by the learned Single Judge in W.P.(C) No.9688/2019, whereby, the learned Single Judge has allowed the writ petition of the respondent by upholding its decision to increase the School fees for the Academic Session 2016-2017. 2. Succinctly put and prior to proceeding to deal with the merits involved, we may note that the present appeal has been filed after more than two years and three months from the passing of the impugned order. However, taking into account the orders passed by the Apex Court in suo moto W.P. (C) No.3/2020, since the period till 28.02.2022, was required to be excluded for the purposes of computing limitation, the appellant before us has filed the present appeal alongwith an application under Section 5 of LPA 488/2022 Page 1 of 10 Signature Not Verified Digitally Signed By:BABLOO SHAH Signing Date:22.01.2025 19:37:54 the Limitation Act, 1963 (said application), albeit seeking condonation of delay of the remaining 175 days only after 28.02.2022. 3. Interestingly, in the said application seeking condonation of delay in filing the present appeal, the appellant has in paras 3 and 5 primarily pleaded that the delay was