Summary
The High Court’s contempt decision confined a slum-relocation judgment to the named writ petitioners. The Supreme Court held that the public-interest proceedings also covered affected residents identified in annexures. Those residents’ policy eligibility still required verification, and implementation was directed within three months.
Issues
- Whether relocation benefits in the earlier public-interest judgment extended to affected residents identified in annexures although not individually named as petitioners.
Held
- A judgment must be read with the considerations leading to its operative directions. Reading only the word petitioners in one paragraph wrongly narrowed this class litigation; every affected person need not be individually arrayed in a public-interest petition. (¶¶ 3–6, 11)
- The earlier judgment was intended to benefit the identified affected persons listed in the petitions’ annexures. Extension of that benefit remained subject to verification of eligibility under the applicable relocation policy rather than unconditional allotment to every listed person. (¶ 11–12)
Result
Appeals allowed to the indicated extent, without costs. Respondents directed to implement the earlier judgment as clarified within three months; pending applications disposed of.