Delhi High Court Dismisses Plea For State Boundary Changes And Capital Relocation

The Delhi High Court rejected a petition on Thursday that aimed to alter the borders of Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, and Haryana, as well as relocate the capitals and high courts of Haryana and Punjab.

The bench, led by acting Chief Justice Manmohan, stated that courts lack the authority to modify state boundaries, which falls solely under Parliament's jurisdiction as outlined in Article 3 of the Constitution.

The petitioner, JP Singh, a retired chief engineer, had filed a public interest litigation seeking to merge Meerut Commissionerate, Sonepat, Faridabad, and Gurugram with Delhi, and Chandigarh with Haryana. Singh also proposed relocating the capitals of Punjab and Haryana to Kurukshetra and Jalandhar, respectively, along with advocating for separate high courts for each state.

However, the court emphasized that such decisions are beyond its purview, highlighting Singh's oversight of constitutional provisions. The bench further commented that Singh's focus on North India alone was narrow, suggesting he should have considered nationwide implications. In its ruling, the court concluded that the petition demonstrated a lack of understanding of constitutional principles outlined in Article 3.