Neutral Citation No. - 2025:AHC-LKO:10295 Court No. - 5 Case :- WRIT - A No. - 1962 of 2025 Petitioner :- Jagat Narayan Trivedi Respondent :- U.O. I Thru. Secy. Chairman Deptt. Telecommuni. Mini. Of Communi. Information Tech. And 3 Others Counsel for Petitioner :- Mayur Gautam Counsel for Respondent :- A.S.G.I.,Nidhi Singh Hon'ble Abdul Moin,J. 1. Heard Shri Mayur Gautam, learned counsel for the petitioners; Shri Anand Dwivedi, learned counsel appearing for respondent no.1/Union of India and Sri Pankaj Singh Yadav, learned counsel holding brief of Sri Krishna Chandra Srivastava, learned counsel appearing for respondent nos.2, 3 & 4. 2. Contention of learned counsel for the petitioners is that although the petitioners have been paid the leave encashment, the interest on delay has not been paid and thus, they are entitled to interest from the date of retirement till actual payment. 3. Learned counsel for the respondent argues that a circular has been issued by respondent saying that no interest shall be paid on the delayed payment of leave encashment as it is not a statutory payment. 4. In the light of the said, learned counsel for the respondent argues that no interest is payable as demanded by the petitioners. 5. Learned counsel for the petitioners places reliance on the judgment of this Court in the case of Nand Lal v. Indian Telephone Industries Limited and 2 Ors. (Writ - A No.31490 of 2016) decided on 09.03.2018 wherein a similar issue was considered and decided by this Court and the interest was held to be payable on account of delay. 6. Considering the fact that the decision has been taken only on the ground that the dues of leave encashment are not statutory dues, as such, no interest is payable, the same is liable to be rejected on the simple analogy that interest is a natural accreditation of capital. Even otherwise, the payment of leave encashment flows out of the decisions taken and thus, cannot be said that it has no flavour of statutory enactment. 7. Thus, following the judgment in the case of Nand Lal (Supra), the writ petition is allowed. 8. Respondents are directed to ensure payment of interest at the rate of 7% per annum on the leave encashment from the date of retirement till actual payment/ realization. 9. The said interest shall be paid to the petitioners within a period of four months. Order Date :- 18.2.2025 Pachhere/- Digitally signed by :- SATYENDRA SINGH PACHHERE High Court of Judicature at Allahabad, Lucknow Bench