Disposed

Aditi Chopra v. Union of India & Ors.

Delhi HC17 Jul 2026W.P.(C)/9586/2026

Case brief

AI extract

What is this about?

A contractual Legal Aid Defence Counsel challenged an office order terminating her engagement for 'below satisfactory performance' as arbitrary and stigmatic. After the authority issued a corrigendum clarifying her term ended due to her own resignation, the court disposed of the petition, directing issuance of her relieving letter, experience certificate and admissible dues within four weeks.

What did the court decide?

Directions to Respondents Nos. 3 and 4 to issue relieving letter and experience certificate within four weeks and release any payable jail visit reimbursement/dues, communicating reasons for any inadm

Aditi Chopra Vs Union of India & Ors. — Service and Employment | Delhi HC (2026)

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$~53

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IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI

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- W.P.(C) 9586/2026 & CM APPL. 44662/2026

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ADITI CHOPRA .....Petitioner

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Through: Mr. Ayush Negi, Ms. Aarushi Gupta and Mr. Abhishek Singh Bhandari, Advocates with Petitioner (inPerson).

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versus

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UNION OF INDIA & ORS. .....Respondents Through: Ms. Rinku Parewa, SPC with Mr. Arvind, G.P. for UOI.

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CORAM:

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HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE SANJEEV NARULA

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O R D E R % 17.07.2026

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The Petitioner was appointed as Assistant Legal Aid Defence Counsel with the West District Legal Service Authority¹ by appointment order dated 15^th May, 2024, on a contractual basis for a period of two years. According to the Petitioner, although her contractual tenure was to expire by efflux of time on 15^th May, 2026 , she continued to discharge her duties even thereafter and was assigned fresh matters by the concerned courts. During the course of her engagement, she was also entrusted with jail visits and other assignments.

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On 29^th May, 2026, the Petitioner tendered a formal notice seeking termination of her contractual engagement by serving the stipulated 30-day notice period. Thereafter, by communication dated 12^th June, 2026, she

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1 “DLSA”

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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 20/07/2026 at 11:41:33

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requested the Secretary, West District Legal Services Authority/Respondent No. 4 to issue a relieving letter and experience certificate and to settle her pending dues, including reimbursement of expenses incurred towards jail visits undertaken during the course of her engagement.

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By communication dated 15^th June, 2026, Respondent No. 4 informed the Petitioner that her resignation had been forwarded to the competent authority for consideration and that the relieving order would be issued upon acceptance of the same.

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During the pendency of the same, Delhi State Legal Service Authority/Respondent No. 3 issued the impugned Office Order dated 25^th June, 2026, whereby the services of certain Legal Aid Defence Counsels, including the Petitioner, were terminated on the ground of “below satisfactory performance”. The Office Order further directed all District Legal Services Authorities to take the said order into consideration while considering future empanelment of the concerned counsels.

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Aggrieved thereby, and contending that the impugned Office Order is arbitrary and stigmatic in nature, the Petitioner had filed this petition, seeking the following reliefs:

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“a. Quash and set aside the Impugned Office Order bearing Ref. No. 336/DSLSA/LAW-II/LADCS-2026/7979-7988 dated 25.06.2026 passed by the Respondent No.3 / Member Secretary DSLSA;

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b. Direct the Respondent No.4 / Secretary West DLSA/ Respondent No.3/Member Secretary DSLA, to issue the Relieving Letter and Experience Certificate, as per the applicable rules, as sought for by the Petitioner in the Letter dated 12.06.2026;

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c. Direct the Respondent No. 4/ Secretary West DLSA and the Respondent No.3/ Member Secretary DSLSA to clear the dues/ expenses borne by the Petitioner as the Jail Visiting Advocate during her jail visits as per the official records.”

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At the outset, counsel for the Petitioner submits that subsequent to the

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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 20/07/2026 at 11:41:33

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filing of the present petition, Respondent No. 3 has issued a Corrigendum dated 16^th July, 2026, in supersession of the impugned Office Order insofar as the Petitioner is concerned. By virtue of the said Corrigendum, it has been clarified that the Petitioner’s term of engagement was not extended on account of her own resignation with effect from 25^th June, 2026. A copy of the Corrigendum has been handed over across the Board and is taken on record.

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In view of this development, counsel for the Petitioner submits that the challenge to the impugned Office Order, as contained in prayer (a) of the petition, does not survive for consideration. He, however, presses prayers (b) and (c), seeking a direction to Respondent Nos. 3 and 4 to issue the relieving letter and experience certificate and to release the reimbursement of expenses incurred by the Petitioner towards jail visits, along with any other admissible dues.

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In light of the foregoing, prayer (a) of the writ petition has been rendered infructuous. Insofar as prayers (b) and (c) are concerned, it is directed that Respondent Nos. 3 and 4 shall consider the Petitioner’s request. In the event the requisite formalities have been completed and the relevant records are found to be in order, the Respondents shall issue the relieving letter and experience certificate within a period of four weeks from today.

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If any amount is found payable towards reimbursement of jail visit expenses or any other admissible dues, the same shall also be released within the aforesaid period. In the event any part of the Petitioner’s claim is found inadmissible, the Respondents shall communicate the reasons therefor to the Petitioner within the same period.

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The writ petition is accordingly disposed of in the above terms along

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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 20/07/2026 at 11:41:33

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with the pending application.

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SANJEEV NARULA, J

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JULY 17, 2026 as

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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 20/07/2026 at 11:41:33

Aditi Chopra v. Union of India & Ors.

Case brief

What is this about?

What did the court decide?

Aditi Chopra v. Union of India & Ors.

Case brief

What is this about?

What did the court decide?

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