Can India's Armed Forces Tribunal hold the government in contempt for disobeying final orders?

Not if you ask the Delhi High Court. In this RawLaw article, the author summarizes (and provides a. downloaded copy of) the High Court's Feb. 23, 2026 decision in Union of India v. Dev. Excerpt from the article:

This ruling significantly clarifies the scope of contempt jurisdiction under the Armed Forces Tribunal Act. It prevents judicial overreach while safeguarding enforceability of tribunal orders.

The decision underscores that statutory tribunals cannot assume powers not conferred by Parliament. At the same time, it ensures that members of the Armed Forces are not left remediless, as High Courts retain contempt jurisdiction to enforce AFT orders.