GAURAV VERMA & ORS. vs AIRPORT AUTHORITY OF INDIA & ANR.

Judgment text excerpt

* IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI Reserved on: 13th January, 2026. Pronounced on: 17th February, 2026. Uploaded on: 17th February, 2026. + W.P.(C) 9359/2025, CM APPL. 39593/2025, CM APPL. 49493/2025 & CM APPL. 1998/2026 GAURAV VERMA & ORS. .....Petitioners Through: Mr. Ramesh Chandra Singh, Ms. Prakriti Roy, Advocates. versus AIRPORT AUTHORITY OF INDIA & ANR. .....Respondents Through: Mr. Amit Bardhan Mohanty, Dr. Neelankshi Choudhary, Mr. Raveesh Kumar Tripathi, Advocates for R-1 and R-2 with Mr. Y.S. Choudhary, Manager (Law), AAI. Ms. Pratima N. Lakra, CGSC with Mr. Shailendra Kumar Mishra, Ms. Mansi Aggarwal, Mr. Chanakya, Advocates for R-3. CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE SANJEEV NARULA JUDGMENT SANJEEV NARULA, J.: 1. The Petitioners assail their non-inclusion in the list of candidates called for document verification for recruitment to Non-Executive Cadres of the Airport Authority of India,1 Northern Region, with document 1 “AAI” Signature Not Verified Digitally Signed W.P.(C) 9359/2025 Page 1 of 14 By:AKANSHA SINGH Signing Date:17.02.2026 17:51:26 verification scheduled on 9th July, 2025 and 10th July, 2025. 2. The case, though set-up as a grievance of “merit being ignored”, turns on a narrower legal axis. The Petitioners are ex-servicemen. The subject recruitment provides horizontal reservation for the category of “ex- servicemen”. The Petitioners assert that they secured marks higher than the last shortlisted candidate in the unreserved segment and, therefore, deserve to “migrate” to the unreserved category2 for the purpose of being called for document verification. 3. The Respondents resist the petition on the foundation that the Petitioners were over the prescribed unreserved upper-age limit and could participate in the recruitment process only by availing