Petition Dismissed Due to 265-Day Delay: Emphasizing Timely Action and Procedural Diligence in Meritorious Cases.

The SC dismissed the Special Leave Petition due to a 265-day delay, citing an unsatisfactory explanation for the delay. The Court criticized the petitioner's habitual late filings and emphasized the need for timely action in meritorious cases. All pending applications were disposed of, reinforcing the importance of procedural diligence.

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Issues: Gross delay in preferring Special Leave Petition, Unsatisfactory explanation for delay, Consistent filing of belated Special Leave Petitions by the Department

The Supreme Court, in a judgment delivered by Hon'ble Mrs. Justice B.V. Nagarathna and Hon'ble Mr. Justice Dipankar Datta, addressed the issue of a gross delay of 265 days in preferring a Special Leave Petition. The Court expressed dissatisfaction with the application seeking condonation of delay, noting that it appeared to be drafted in a cyclostlyed and stereotyped manner. The explanation provided for the delay was deemed unsatisfactory and insufficient in law to warrant condonation. The Court referenced a previous order where a similar delay of 484 days led to the dismissal of the application seeking condonation of delay. The Court criticized the consistent practice of the petitioner-Department in filing belated Special Leave Petitions, emphasizing the need for urgent attention to cases with merit and discouraging the habit of challenging correct orders or judgments with delayed petitions. Consequently, the Special Leave Petition in question was dismissed on the ground of delay, and all pending applications were disposed of accordingly.

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