The Punjab and Haryana high court has dismissed a man's plea seeking 50 acres of land linked to his father's George Medals from World War II. The court cited an unexplained delay of over 70 years in rejecting the claim. The decision relies on the doctrine of laches.
The Punjab and Haryana high court dismissed a petition on March 10, in which the petitioner challenged the central government's failure to record two George Medals awarded to his father, Gajja Singh, during World War II. The George Medal, instituted by King George VI in 1940, recognizes gallantry in non-military circumstances by the United Kingdom and Commonwealth.
Under the Adjutant General of India's policy dated June 6, 1944, a soldier awarded the George Medal was entitled to 25 acres of land, making Gajja Singh eligible for 50 acres with two medals. Family members could claim the land after the awardee's death. Gajja Singh lived until 1996—nearly five decades after the war—but filed no claim during his lifetime. The petitioner sought to enforce the entitlement over 70 years later, without explaining the delay.
Justice Jagmohan Bansal's bench emphasized that discretion to condone delay must be exercised judiciously. The court stated, “Where illegality is manifest, it cannot be sustained on the sole ground of laches.” Citing the Supreme Court's 2024 precedent in Mrinmoy Maity Vs. Chhanda Koley, it declined to invoke extraordinary writ jurisdiction due to the inordinate delay.
Petitioner's counsel Arvind Kashyap argued that the land was a substantive right denied due to the state's omission, making the petition maintainable despite the delay. The court, however, dismissed it, highlighting the impact of prolonged inaction on military reward claims and property rights.
