Supreme Court dismisses Special Leave Petition over delays, imposes costs for misuse of "certificate cases"

The Supreme Court dismissed the Special Leave Petition due to a 502-day delay, criticizing the petitioner's lethargy and incompetence. The Court highlighted the misuse of filing "certificate cases" solely for closure, imposing costs of Rs. 25,000 for wasting judicial time. The petitioner was directed to deposit the costs with the Supreme Court Advocates on Record Welfare Fund within four weeks. The Court ordered recovery from responsible officers and a certificate of recovery within the same period. A copy of the order was to be sent to the Chief Secretary of the State of Uttar Pradesh to avoid non-compliance and potential proceedings.

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Issues: Condonation of delay in filing Special Leave Petition, imposition of costs for wastage of judicial time

In this judgment, the Supreme Court addressed the issue of delay in filing a Special Leave Petition, where the petitioner sought condonation of a 502-day delay. The Court noted the explanation provided for the delay, which highlighted the movement of files between different places with long interludes. The Court criticized the casual approach of the petitioner, attributing the delay to lethargy and incompetence without any substantial grounds for condonation. The Court emphasized that State Governments and public authorities should not disregard the limitation period prescribed by statutes. Referring to previous judgments, the Court highlighted that leniency previously shown due to technological limitations no longer applies. The Court observed a trend of filing "certificate cases" solely to obtain closure from the Supreme Court without addressing the underlying issues, leading to a waste of judicial time. The Court refused to grant such certificates and imposed costs of Rs. 25,000 on the petitioner for the wastage of judicial time, to be deposited with the Supreme Court Advocates on Record Welfare Fund within four weeks. The Court directed the recovery of this amount from the officers responsible for the delay and required a certificate of recovery to be filed within the same period. Ultimately, the Special Leave Petition was dismissed as time-barred due to the delay. Additionally, the Court directed a copy of the order to be sent to the Chief Secretary of the State of Uttar Pradesh, cautioning against non-compliance, which could lead to appropriate proceedings against the Chief Secretary.

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