Extension of Time granted conditionally for filing the appeal, subject to the prescribed pre-deposit and merits to be decided by the appellate forum.

Petitioners sought leave to challenge a High Court order and, alternatively, extension of time to file the statutory appeal; the Supreme Court (SC) found no merit to interfere with the High Court's order and dismissed the Special Leave Petition, but in exercise of its discretion granted a time extension for filing the appeal until 16-03-2026 subject to the High Court's pre-deposit condition, leaving all substantive adjudication on merits to the appellate forum.

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Issues: Whether the Special Leave Petition challenging the High Court order should be entertained and whether time should be extended for filing the appeal beyond the date granted by the High Court.

Analysis: The petition sought interference with the High Court order; the Court found no good ground to interfere with that order. The petitioners alternatively sought an extension of time to file the appeal, explaining inability to prosecute and comply with the High Court's date. The Court considered the limited request for extension of time and the condition imposed by the High Court regarding pre-deposit, and exercised discretion to extend the limitation period to a specific future date while leaving adjudication on merits to the appellate forum.

Conclusion: The Court refused to interfere with the impugned High Court order and dismissed the Special Leave Petition, but granted an extension of time for filing the appeal until 16-03-2026 on condition that the appeal is filed with the requisite pre-deposit.

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