In Lt. Col. Suprita Chandel v. Union of India & Ors., the Supreme Court emphasized that the benefit of a favorable judicial order against government actions should be extended to similarly situated individuals without requiring them to approach the courts. The appellant, an officer in the Army Dental Corps, sought parity with others granted permanent commission by the Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT) despite revised age criteria disqualifying them. The Court held that the appellant was identically placed with those beneficiaries and, citing Amrit Lal Berry v. Collector of Central Excise and K.I. Shephard v. Union of India, reiterated that equitable relief must be uniformly applied unless expressly prohibited. Rejecting the AFT’s reasoning that the appellant’s non-participation in earlier litigation precluded her claim, the Court, exercising its powers under Article 142, quashed the AFT’s order and directed the authorities to grant the appellant permanent commission.
