UNION OF INDIA & ORS. vs CHATUR SINGH & ORS.

Judgment text excerpt

$~20 & 21 * IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI Date of decision: 24.09.2025 (20)+ W.P.(C) 13562/2024 & CM APPL. 56701/2024, CM APPL. 76570/2024 (21)+ W.P.(C) 16940/2024 & CM APPL. 71759/2024 UNION OF INDIA & ORS. .....Petitioners Through: Mr.Ajit Kumar Pathak, SPC with Ms.Akriti Pathak, Adv. in W.P.(C) 13562/2024 Mr.Jitesh Vikram Srivastava, SPC with Mr.Prajesh Vikram Srivastava, Adv. in W.P.(C) 16940/2024 versus CHATUR SINGH & ORS. .....Respondents MS. ANJALI NEGI & ORS. .....Respondents Through: Mr.A.K. Trivedi, Adv. CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE NAVIN CHAWLA HON'BLE MS. JUSTICE MADHU JAIN NAVIN CHAWLA, J. (ORAL) 1. These petitions have been filed, challenging the Orders dated 06.12.2023 and 19.01.2024 passed by the learned Central Administrative Tribunal, Principal Bench, New Delhi (hereinafter referred to as, ‘Tribunal’) in O.A. No.387/2019, titled Chatur Singh & Ors. v. Union of India & Ors.; and O.A. No.3465/2019, titled Ms.Anjali Negi & Ors. v. Union of India & Ors., respectively, allowing the O.A.s filed by the respondents herein. Signature Not Verified Digitally Signed W.Ps.(C) 13562/2024 & 16940/2024 Page 1 of 12 By:REYMON VASHIST Signing Date:27.09.2025 16:21:33 2. For the sake of brevity, we shall take the facts from W.P.(C) 13562/2024. 3. To give a brief background of the facts in which the present petition arises, the respondents had filed the above O.A. claiming therein that they are working as Monument Attendants on a casual basis in the Archaeological Survey of India since 1995-2011. It was claimed that they were appointed by following the due process of selection, that is, by inviting applications from the open market. It was further contended that the nature of duties performed by the respondents is regular and permanent in nature, however, instead