Rs.1,00,000 departmental cost imposed on respondents set aside; rectification order otherwise modified and petition disposed

The SC held that the High Court's rectification order, which had imposed a token cost of Rs.1,00,000 on the respondents' department based on the affidavit-in-reply and verification report, is to be modified: the portion of the HC order imposing costs is set aside. The impugned HC order is otherwise modified, and the Special Leave Petition is disposed of accordingly.

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Heard senior counsel for the revenue. "Delay condoned." The order passed by the High Court, insofar as it has "imposed costs, is set aside." The impugned order of the High Court is "modified to the extent indicated above." Consequentially, the Special Leave Petition is "disposed of" and all pending applications, if any, "stand disposed of." The Court's disposition is limited: it does not disturb the remainder of the High Court's order except insofar as costs were imposed; the modification solely annuls the costs component. Procedural posture therefore results in final disposal of the SLP with no further interim matters remaining.

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