Delhi HC Refuses to Entertain Plea for Gujjar Regiment in Indian Army

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday, 28 May 2025, refused to entertain a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed before it seeking the establishment of a dedicated "Gujjar Regiment" within the Indian Army.

The plea urging the Union of India and the Ministry of Defence to form a Gujjar Regiment, filed by Rohan Basoya, came up before a division bench comprising Chief Justice DK Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela today.

While terming the plea as 'absolutely divisive', the court questioned Rohan Basoya, who was present in person, and his counsel regarding the legal basis of the petition.

The bench asked how the petitioner could seek a writ of mandamus and demanded to know which law grants him the right to seek the formation of a separate regiment in the Indian Army.

During the course of proceedings, the counsel appearing for the Union Government informed the court that the government follows a policy of not introducing new regiments based on any specific community, in order to maintain equitable opportunities for all.

The plea before the High Court contended that the Gujjar community possesses a rich martial heritage, as they have actively participated in significant military engagements throughout history. Despite all this, the plea asserted that the said community has not been given any regiment, unlike other communities which already have such regiments—particularly Sikhs, Jats, Rajputs, and Gorkhas.

Arguing that the Indian Army has historically maintained ethnic-based regiments to recognize the contributions of various communities, the plea highlighted that the exclusion of Gujjars creates an imbalance and violates their constitutional rights under Articles 14 and 16 of the Indian Constitution.

Case Title: Rohan Basoya v. UOI

[Inputs- ANI]