Belated writ relief and non-compliance under a dispute resolution scheme defeated the challenge to rejection of applications.

Writ relief under the Sabka Vishwas (Legacy Dispute Resolution) Scheme, 2019 was refused where the petitioners approached the High Court after more than two and a half years without a convincing explanation for the delay. The Court also noted the absence of material showing compliance with further procedural requirements under the Scheme and treated the petitioners' lack of candour and concealment concerns as fatal to discretionary relief. Reliance on the COVID-19 period did not explain the entire lapse, and the cited precedents were found distinguishable because they involved prompt challenges. The challenge to rejection of the Scheme applications therefore failed.

---

---

Issues: Whether the petitioners were entitled to interference with the rejection of their applications under the Sabka Vishwas (Legacy Dispute Resolution) Scheme, 2019 despite prolonged delay, alleged non-compliance with the Scheme's requirements, and concealment of material facts.

Analysis: The applications were rejected in December 2019, but the writ petitions were instituted only after more than two and a half years. No convincing explanation was furnished for this delay, and the reliance on the COVID-19 period did not account for the entire lapse. The record also showed that the petitioners had been called upon to comply with further procedural requirements under the Scheme, yet there was no material showing compliance. In writ jurisdiction, discretionary relief is declined where the petitioner approaches belatedly without a satisfactory explanation and does not act with candour. The Court also treated the cited precedents as distinguishable on facts because they involved prompt challenges.

Conclusion: The petitioners were not entitled to the relief sought, and the challenge to the rejection under the Scheme failed.

---