Mohd. Zaki Ahmad Vs Prof. Najmaakhtar, & Anr. — Contempt of Court | Delhi HC (2025)

Mohd. Zaki Ahmad Vs Prof. Najmaakhtar, & Anr. — Contempt of Court | Delhi HC (2025)

What the court decided

AI extract

Outcome

Petitions disposed of as not pressed, with leave and liberty to the petitioners to take up the issue of applicability of the 7th Pay Commission in their pending writ petitions in accordance with law; pending applications disposed of.

Issue for consideration

Whether the respondents committed willful disobedience of the common order dated 01.02.2022 passed in LPAs 418/2018, 419/2018, 420/2018, 421/2018, 423/2018, 424/2018 and 417/2018 (contempt petitions CONT.CAS(C) 544, 549, 550, 554, 555, 660, 663 of 2022). +1 more

Court's answer

The contempt petitions are disposed of as not pressed; no adjudication of the alleged willful disobedience or of the applicability of the 7th Pay Commission was made in this order.

Ratio / Principle

Leave and liberty is granted to the petitioners to pursue the question of applicability of the 7th Pay Commission to them in their pending writ petitions before the learned Single Judge, in accordance with law.

Key takeaways

Pending application(s), if any, also stand disposed of.ratio¶9

Detailed headnote1 paragraphs

Contempt Petitions (CONT.CAS(C) 544, 549, 550, 554, 555, 660, 663/2022) — Amit Sharma, J. (Delhi High Court, 17.12.2025): Seven contempt petitions alleging willful disobedience of the common order dated 01.02.2022 in LPAs 417–421, 423, 424/2018 were disposed of as not pressed. Respondents (Prof. Najma Akhtar & another, JMI) had filed a compliance affidavit confirming satisfaction of the salary-arrears direction contained in para 6.2 of the LPA 417/2018 judgment (arrears per learned Single Judge order dated 15.05.2018, i.e., salary at pre-reduction rates prior to the reduction communicated on 13.05.2016). Applicant's request (CM APPL. 20249/2024, CONT.CAS(C) 549/2022) for 7th Pay Commission benefits w.e.f. 01.11.2016, disputed by the respondents, was left undecided: counsel chose not to press the petitions, and leave and liberty was granted to agitate the applicability of the 7th Pay Commission in the petitioners' separate writ petitions (regular-employee status and salary/retiral benefits post 30.06.2018) pending before the learned Single Judge. Pending applications disposed of accordingly. No finding on contempt and no ruling on 7th CPC entitlement.

$~10 to 16

* IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI

- CONT.CAS(C) 544/2022 MOHD. ZAKI AHMAD .....Petitioner

Through: Mr. Rohit Gandhi, Ms. Charu Shahi, Ms. Manpreet Kaur, Mr. Hargun Singh Kalri, Mr. Vidur Marwah, Mr. Shubham Bhati, Ms. Sanchika Makkar, Mr. Varun Trivedi, Advocates. versus

PROF. NAJMAAKHTAR, & ANR. .....Respondents Through: Mr. Pritish Sabharwal, Standing Counsel for JMI with Mr. Shiv Chopra and Ms. Shweta Singh, Advocates for JMI.

11

- CONT.CAS(C) 549/2022 & CM APPL. 20249/2024

MRS. APARNA TICKOO BHAT .....Petitioner Through: Mr. Rohit Gandhi, Ms. Charu Shahi, Ms. Manpreet Kaur, Mr. Hargun Singh Kalri, Mr. Vidur Marwah, Mr. Shubham Bhati, Ms. Sanchika Makkar, Mr. Varun Trivedi, Advocates. versus

PROF. NAJMA AKHTAR & ANR. .....Respondents Through: Mr. Pritish Sabharwal, Standing Counsel for JMI with Mr. Shiv Chopra and Ms. Shweta Singh, Advocates for JMI.

This is a digitally signed order.

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 22/12/2025 at 11:59:15

12

CONT.CAS(C) 550/2022 MOHD. ISMAIL KHAN .....Petitioner Through: Mr. Rohit Gandhi, Ms. Charu Shahi, Ms. Manpreet Kaur, Mr. Hargun Singh Kalri, Mr. Vidur Marwah, Mr. Shubham Bhati, Ms. Sanchika Makkar, Mr. Varun Trivedi, Advocates.

versus

PROF. NAJMA AKHTAR, & ANR. .....Respondents Through: Mr. Pritish Sabharwal, Standing Counsel for JMI with Mr. Shiv Chopra and Ms. Shweta Singh, Advocates for JMI.

13 + CONT.CAS(C) 554/2022 MS. KUMUD BEHARI SINHA .....Petitioner Through: Mr. Rohit Gandhi, Ms. Charu Shahi, Ms. Manpreet Kaur, Mr. Hargun Singh Kalri, Mr. Vidur Marwah, Mr. Shubham Bhati, Ms. Sanchika Makkar, Mr. Varun Trivedi, Advocates.

versus

PROF. NAJMA AKHTAR & ANR. .....Respondents Through: Mr. Pritish Sabharwal, Standing Counsel for JMI with Mr. Shiv Chopra and Ms. Shweta Singh, Advocates for JMI. 14 + CONT.CAS(C) 555/2022

This is a digitally signed order.

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 22/12/2025 at 11:59:15

SHAMIM AHMAD

.....Petitioner

Through: Mr. Rohit Gandhi, Ms. Charu Shahi, Ms. Manpreet Kaur, Mr. Hargun Singh Kalri, Mr. Vidur Marwah, Mr. Shubham Bhati, Ms. Sanchika Makkar, Mr. Varun Trivedi, Advocates.

versus

PROF. NAJMAAKHTAR & ANR. .....Respondents Through: Mr. Pritish Sabharwal, Standing Counsel for JMI with Mr. Shiv Chopra and Ms. Shweta Singh, Advocates for JMI.

15

CONT.CAS(C) 660/2022 MOHD. AZAM SHIBLI .....Petitioner Through: Mr. Rohit Gandhi, Ms. Charu Shahi, Ms. Manpreet Kaur, Mr. Hargun Singh Kalri, Mr. Vidur Marwah, Mr. Shubham Bhati, Ms. Sanchika Makkar, Mr. Varun Trivedi, Advocates.

versus

PROF. NAJMA AKHTAR & ANR. .....Respondents Through: Mr. Pritish Sabharwal, Standing Counsel for JMI with Mr. Shiv Chopra and Ms. Shweta Singh, Advocates for JMI. 16 + CONT.CAS(C) 663/2022 & CM APPL. 1240/2024 MR. SHAILESH KUMAR SAXENA .....Petitioner Through: Mr. Rohit Gandhi, Ms. Charu Shahi, Ms. Manpreet Kaur, Mr. Hargun Singh

This is a digitally signed order.

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 22/12/2025 at 11:59:15

Kalri, Mr. Vidur Marwah, Mr. Shubham Bhati, Ms. Sanchika Makkar, Mr. Varun Trivedi, Advocates.

versus

PROF. NAJMA AKHTAR & ANR. .....Respondents Through: Mr. Pritish Sabharwal, Standing Counsel for JMI with Mr. Shiv Chopra and Ms. Shweta Singh, Advocates for JMI.

CORAM:

HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE AMIT SHARMA

O R D E R

% 17.12.2025

This hearing has been done through hybrid mode.

The present petitions alleges willful disobedience of the common order dated 01.02.2022 passed in LPAs 418/2018 (subject matter of CONT. CAS(C) 554/2022), 419/2018 (subject matter of CONT. CAS(C) 544/2022), 420/2018 (subject matter of CONT. CAS(C) 550/2022), 421/2018 (subject matter of CONT. CAS(C) 549/2022), 423/2018 (subject matter of CONT. CAS(C) 555/2022), 424/2018 (subject matter of CONT. CAS(C) 660/2022) and 417/2018 (subject matter of CONT. CAS(C) 663/2022).

During the pendency of the present petitions, a compliance affidavit had been filed on behalf of the respondents and thereafter the petitioner-i.e., Ms. Aparna Tickoo Bhat, moved an application, i.e., CM APPL. 20249/2024 in CONT.CAS(C) 549/2022, claiming that the petitioner along with other copetitioners is entitled to benefit of 7^th Pay Commission as implemented by the University, w.e.f., 01.11.2016, thus the benefit of 7^th Pay Commission has been sought for all the petitioners.

This is a digitally signed order.

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 22/12/2025 at 11:59:15

Response to said application has been filed on behalf of the respondent disputing the applicability of the 7^th Pay Commission to the petitioners including the applicant-Ms. Aparna Tickoo Bhat and other petitioners. During the pendency of the hearing, it is pointed out that apart from this issue of entitlement to 7^th CPC, the arrears of salary in terms of the following direction of the judgment dated 01.02.2022 in LPA 417/2018, stands satisfied.

“6.2. Given this position, Mr. Ayyubi, states that the arrears of salary on account of difference in rates for the aforementioned period in terms of the order of the learned Single judge dated 15.05.2018, will be paid. In other words, the appellant will be paid salary at the rate at which he was getting the salary prior to the reduction being ordered, via communication dated 13.05.2016.

It is pointed out that the petitioners have also filed their respective writ petitions claiming themselves as regular employees of JMI and consequent salary and retiral benefits post 30.06.2018 which are pending before the learned Single Judge.

In these circumstances, learned counsel for the petitioner does not wish to press these petitions with liberty to take the issue of applicability of 7^th Pay Commission to the petitioners in the said writ petitions in accordance with law.

Leave and liberty granted.

The present petitions are disposed of as not pressed.

Pending application(s), if any, also stands disposed of.

AMIT SHARMA, J

DECEMBER 17, 2025/bsr/ah

This is a digitally signed order.

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 22/12/2025 at 11:59:15