EPFO Commissioner Appeal Dismissed Over 42-Day Delay

Authority: Supreme Court of India

Order Date: 08 October 2026

Case Overview

• Appellant: Employees Provident Fund Organization Regional Provident Fund Commissioner.
• Respondent: Naveen Khandelwal, liquidator of Oxygen Lifeline Retail Pvt. Ltd.
• Appeal challenged the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) order dated 24‑04‑2026 in Company Appeal (AT) (Ins) No. 648/2026.
• The appellant sought condonation of a 42‑day delay in refiling the appeal and an ex‑parte stay; applications identified as IA No. 267365/2026 (condonation) and IA No. 267362/2026 (ex‑parte stay).
• The Court relied on the precedent set in CA Ramchandra Dallaram Choudhary vs. Adani Infrastructure and Developers Private Limited that a delay attributable to the appellant is fatal and cannot be condoned.

Final Outcome

• The application for condonation of delay and the appeal were dismissed.
• The Registry was instructed to circulate any required report digitally and to upload a scanned copy for perusal.
• All pending applications, if any, were ordered to stand disposed of.

Topics: Insolvency & Bankruptcy, Court Decision