Disposed¶38

Joginder Kaur v. Punjabi Academy & Ors.

Delhi HC9 Sept 2025W.P.(C)/7760/2025

Case brief

AI extract

What is this about?

Parity with Avtar Singh judgment; retired part-time Punjabi teachers; MCD Primary Schools; Punjabi Academy; arrears of salary; interest kept open / left to respondents' considered decision; rights and remedies reserved; writ petitions disposed of; Delhi High Court; Prateek Jalan, J.; order dated 09.09.2025; W.P.(C) 13764/2025, 7760/2025, 7963/2025; reliance on Avtar Singh (W.P.(C) 3675/2017, decided 15.07.2025) and Manjit Kaur (W.P.(C) 11452/2025).

What did the court decide?

Direction that the petitioners receive the benefits conferred by the judgment in Avtar Singh (except with regard to interest); respondents to take a considered decision on any period of interest; rights and remedies of the petitioners reserved on interest. ¶38

Joginder Kaur Vs Punjabi Academy & Ors. — Delhi HC (2025) — LawSathi Research

What the court decided

AI extract

Outcome

¶38

Issue for consideration

Whether the petitioners, retired part-time teachers of Punjabi in MCD Primary Schools in Delhi, are entitled to arrears of salary on parity with the petitioners in Avtar Singh. +1 more

¶25

Court's answer

The writ petitions are disposed of with a direction that the petitioners would also be entitled to the benefits conferred by the judgment in Avtar Singh, except with regard to interest.

¶36

Ratio / Principle

As far as interest is concerned, the respondents may take a considered decision on the period for which the petitioners would be entitled to interest, if any, having regard to the facts and circumstances of the case.

¶36

Key takeaways

The rights and remedies of the petitioners remain reserved in respect of interest.ratio¶36

Detailed headnote1 paragraphs

Delhi High Court (Prateek Jalan, J.), order dated 09.09.2025, disposing of W.P.(C) 13764/2025 & CM APPL. 56435/2025 (Gita Rani and Ors.), W.P.(C) 7760/2025 and W.P.(C) 7963/2025 (each Joginder Kaur) against Punjabi Academy and Ors. The petitioners, retired part-time teachers of Punjabi in MCD Primary Schools, sought arrears of salary with interest on parity with the judgment in Avtar Singh v. Punjabi Academy & Anr. (W.P.(C) 3675/2017 and connected matters, decided 15.07.2025). Following the approach in the post-Avtar Singh petition of Manjit Kaur (W.P.(C) 11452/2025), the Court disposed of the writ petitions with a direction that the petitioners would also be entitled to the benefits conferred by the Avtar Singh judgment, except with regard to interest; on interest, the respondents (including GNCTD and MCD) were left free to take a considered decision on any period of interest, if any, and the petitioners' rights and remedies remain reserved in that respect.

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$~67, 1 & 2

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IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI

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- W.P.(C) 13764/2025 & CM APPL. 56435/2025 GITA RANI AND ORS. .....Petitioners

¶4

versus

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PUNJABI ACADEMY THROUGH ITS SECRETARY & ORS.

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.....Respondents

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W.P.(C) 7760/2025 JOGINDER KAUR .....Petitioner

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versus

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PUNJABI ACADEMY & ORS. .....Respondents

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W.P.(C) 7963/2025 JOGINDER KAUR .....Petitioner

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versus

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PUNJABI ACADEMY & ORS. .....Respondents

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Appearance:- Mr. Bharat Bhushan Bhatia, Mr. Mratyunjay Singh & Mr. Mohd. Javed, Advocates for Petitioners in Item Nos. 67, 1 & 2.

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Mrs. Avnish Ahlawat, Standing Counsel for GNCTD with Mr. N.K. Singh, Ms. Aliza Alam & Mr. Mohnish, Advocates for R-1 & 2 in Item Nos. 67, 1 & 2.

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Dr. Divya Swamy, Standing Counsel for MCD with Mr. Yash Jain, Ms. Nidhi Kumar & Mr. Amol Rana, Advocates for R-3 in Item Nos. 67, 1 & 2.

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CORAM: HON’BLE MR. JUSTICE PRATEEK JALAN

O R D E R

09.09.2025

W.P.(C) 13764/2025 & Connected matters

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Page 1 of 3

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This is a digitally signed order.

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The authenticity of the order can be re-verified from Delhi High Court Order Portal by scanning the QR code shown above. The Order is downloaded from the DHC Server on 11/09/2025 at 12:45:12

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Issue notice. Mrs. Avnish Ahlawat, learned Standing Counsel, accepts notice on behalf of respondent Nos. 1 and 2. Dr. Divya Swamy, learned Standing Counsel, accepts notice on behalf of respondent No. 3 – Municipal Corporation of Delhi [“MCD”].

¶25

The petitioners are retired part-time teachers of Punjabi in MCD Primary Schools in Delhi. They seek arrears of salary with interest, claiming parity with the petitioners before this Court in Avtar Singh v. Punjabi Academy & Anr. [W.P.(C) 3675/2017 and other connected matters, decided on 15.07.2025] [hereinafter, “ Avtar Singh ”]. Similar claims by other Punjabi teachers were decided in the said writ petition.

¶26

After the judgment in Avtar Singh , a writ petition [W.P.(C) 11452/2025: Manjit Kaur vs. Punjabi Academy and Ors .] was filed by another similarly placed individual, in which this Court passed the following order:-

¶27

“2. The petitioner was a teacher of Punjabi in an MCD Primary School. She seeks payment of arrears of salary and gratuity in terms of the judgment of this Court in the case of other similarly placed teachers. In support of the petition, Mr. Bharat Bhushan Bhatia, learned counsel for the petitioner, cites the judgment of a Coordinate Bench in Avtar Singh v. Punjabi Academy & Anr. [W.P.(C) 3675/2017 and other connected matters, decided on 15.07.2025] [hereinafter, “Avtar Singh”].

¶28

3. Ms. Aliza Alam, learned counsel for Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi [“GNCTD”] and Dr. Swamy, submit that the judgment of Avtar Singh has been rendered less than one month ago, and the Authorities are still considering the steps to be taken with regard to the said judgment. However, they submit that the petitioner will be treated in the same way as other similarly placed petitioners in Avtar Singh.

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W.P.(C) 13764/2025 & Connected matters

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Page 2 of 3

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This is a digitally signed order.

¶32

The authenticity of the order can be re-verified from Delhi High Court Order Portal by scanning the QR code shown above. The Order is downloaded from the DHC Server on 11/09/2025 at 12:45:12

¶33

4. Mr. Bhatia states that the petitioner would be satisfied with an assurance of this nature.”

¶34

Mr. Bharat Bhushan Bhatia, learned counsel for the petitioners in the present petitions, seeks a similar order.

¶35

Mrs. Ahlawat submits that the respondents do not, in principle, object to such an order, but request that the petitioners’ claim for interest be kept open, as the petitioners have approached the Court long after their retirement, whereas in Avtar Singh , most of the petitioners were still working.

¶36

The writ petitions are disposed of with a direction that the petitioners would also be entitled to the benefits conferred by the judgment in Avtar Singh , except with regard to interest. As far as interest is concerned, the respondents may take a considered decision on the period for which the petitioners would be entitled to interest, if any, having regard to the facts and circumstances of the case. The rights and remedies of the petitioner remain reserved in this respect.

¶37

Mr. Bhatia submits that the petitioners are also agreeable to an order in these terms.

¶38

The writ petitions, alongwith pending application, stand disposed of in the aforesaid terms.

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PRATEEK JALAN, J

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SEPTEMBER 9, 2025 ‘pv/KA’/

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W.P.(C) 13764/2025 & Connected matters

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Page 3 of 3

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This is a digitally signed order.

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The authenticity of the order can be re-verified from Delhi High Court Order Portal by scanning the QR code shown above. The Order is downloaded from the DHC Server on 11/09/2025 at 12:45:12

Joginder Kaur v. Punjabi Academy & Ors.

Case brief

What is this about?

What did the court decide?

Joginder Kaur v. Punjabi Academy & Ors.

Case brief

What is this about?

What did the court decide?

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What the court decided

Issues for consideration

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