The Punjab and Haryana High Court has recently dismissed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) citing unexplained delay and laches.
The petitioner, claiming to be a whistleblower, sought relief in the form of a mandamus directing the respondents to inquire into alleged land grabbing, fraud, and embezzlement.
The petitioner alleged that the land in question was acquired by the State of Haryana under the Land Acquisition Act, and the possession was taken by the respondent-state on May 5, 1993.
However, the petitioner raised this issue after a significant delay of 32 years, which the court found unexplained and unjustified.
The Division Bench of Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Anil Kshetarpal noted that the petitioner’s representation to the government remained unattended, but it refrained from directing the government to decide on the representation, fearing that it would open a Pandora’s box and allow the raising of issues where evidence would be lacking due to the efflux of time.
Ultimately, the court dismissed the PIL, citing the petitioner’s unexplained delay and laches.
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