W.P.(C) 4239/2026 $~3 * IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI + W.P.(C) 4239/2026 & CM APPL. 20627/2026 MINAKSHI DHABHAI .....Petitioner Through: Mr Akshay Bhandari, Adv and Col. Mukul Dev, Adv versus UNION OF INDIA & ORS. .....Respondents Through: Mr Premtosh K Mishra CGSC, Col Aashish Chadha (DGFMS), Mj A S Bhuttar (DGFMS), Mr Shrey Sharma Adv & Mr Anubhav Upadhyay Adv. Major Kanika Sharma, Army CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE ANIL KSHETARPAL HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE AMIT MAHAJAN O R D E R % 08.04.2026 1. The present petition is filed against the order dated 23.02.2026 (hereafter ‘impugned order’) passed by the learned Armed Forces Tribunal, Principal Bench, New Delhi whereby the O.A. No. 3924/2025 preferred by the Petitioner in relation to change of priority was dismissed. 2. The Petitioner herein was commissioned into the Army Medical Corps on 15.02.2019. She applied for admission in Post Graduate course while appearing in NEET PG Examination, 2025. Initially, the Petitioner opted for Priority-I. Subsequently, after the due date (that is on 01.08.2025), the Petitioner applied for change of her category to Priority-IV on 27.08.2025. 3. The concerned authorities while adhering to the cut-off date refused to recommend the Petitioner. Consequently, the Petitioner 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 10/04/2026 at 12:21:33 W.P.(C) 4239/2026 filed the subject original application which was dismissed by way of the impugned order. 4. It is the case of the Petitioner that any delay in requesting a change of priority was due to service exigencies. It is further the case of the Petitioner that her attempts to forward her application for Priority – IV status were met with administrative obstruction and non- cooperation shown by her Unit Authorities. 5. It is pertinent to note that this Writ Petition was filed on 07.03.2026. The Writ Petition was listed for the first time before the Bench only on 01.04.2026 and on that day also, the counsel representing the Petitioner sought adjournment. This Writ Petition has now come up for preliminary hearing. Pertinently, the PG course has already commenced and is underway. 6. Further, as per the Judgment of the Hon’ble Supreme Court in Ashish Ranjan v. Union of India & Ors. : M.A. No.1822/2022 in W.P.(C) 76/2015, the admission to the Medical Colleges had to be concluded by 28.02.2026. 7. Learned counsel representing the Petitioner while relying on the observations made in the Secretary National Medical Commission v. Sanjana Thakur & Ors.: arising from SLP(C) 18686/2023 decided on 17.03.2026, submits that the Court should not deny relief to a meritorious student who has approached the Court within the prescribed time. 8. This Court has examined the Judgment. Firstly, the Hon’ble Supreme Court exercises power under Article 142 of the Constitution of India which vests exclusively with the Hon’ble Supreme Court. 9. Secondly, the Petitioner’s case is yet to be examined on merits, particularly when it was dismissed by the Armed Forces Tribunal. 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 10/04/2026 at 12:21:33 W.P.(C) 4239/2026 10. In the facts of the present case, the Court is unable to grant any relief to the Petitioner and keeping the Writ Petition pending would not serve any purpose. 11. The present petition and pending application stand disposed of. ANIL KSHETARPAL, J AMIT MAHAJAN, J APRIL 8, 2026 “SK” 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 10/04/2026 at 12:21:33