Punjab and Haryana High Court Rejects Land Reward Claim After Seven-Decade Delay

The Punjab and Haryana High Court dismissed a petition seeking 50 acres of land as a reward for the petitioner's father, Gajja Singh, who was awarded two George Medals during World War II. The court cited an inordinate delay of over seven decades in claiming the land, noting that Gajja Singh, who died in 1996, never filed a claim. The court emphasized that discretion to condone delay should be exercised judiciously and declined to invoke extraordinary writ jurisdiction due to the prolonged lapse.