Delhi High Court declines to entertain plea for Gujjar Regiment in Army

Delhi High Court dismisses PIL seeking Gujjar Regiment creation, counsel withdraws plea after court cautions on costs.

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday (May 28, 2025) declined to entertain a public interest litigation (PIL) petition seeking a direction to the Centre for the creation of a Gujjar Regiment in the Army.

Terming the PIL “absolutely divisive”, a Bench of Chief Justice D.K. Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela asked the counsel for the petitioner to do some research before taking up such petitions.

With the court cautioning the litigant of imposing costs, the counsel chose to withdraw the plea.

“After arguing at some length, the counsel for the petitioner states that she has instructions from the petitioner, who is present in the court, to withdraw the petition. The same is dismissed as withdrawn,” the court said.

During the hearing, the Bench questioned the petitioner’s counsel which provision of the Constitution, statute, or customary law conferred the right to form a regiment based on a particular community.

The PIL was filed by Rohan Basoya, claiming that the Gujjar community has a well-documented history of bravery, having participated in various wars, including the 1857 revolt, Indo-Pak wars of 1947, 1965, 1971, Kargil war (1999) and counter-insurgency operations in Jammu and Kashmir.

“Despite this rich martial legacy, they [Gujjars] have not been accorded a dedicated regiment, unlike other martial communities such as Sikhs, Jats, Rajputs, Gorkhas, and Dogras,” the plea said.