SHIV DASS vs UNION OF INDIA .

The Supreme Court upheld the dismissal of the appellant's writ petition by the Punjab and Haryana High Court, emphasizing that the delay in filing the petition, which was submitted 22 years after the initial rejection of the disability pension claim, was significant. The Court reiterated that laches and delay are critical factors in exercising discretion under Article 226 of the Constitution of India. The Court noted that the appellant had been informed of the rejection of his appeal in 1985, and thus, the High Court's decision was justified as the appellant could not benefit from his own inaction.