Authority: High Court of Jharkhand at Ranchi
Order Date: 04 August 2026
Case Overview
- Parties: Appellants – State of Jharkhand represented by Deputy Commissioner, Additional Collector, Land Reforms Deputy Collector, Circle Officers of Bero and Itki; Respondent – Md. Imteyaz, son of Late Md. Kurban, resident of Ranchi.
- Proceeding: Application for condonation of delay (IA No. 13072 of 2025 / LPA No. 651 of 2025) seeking to excuse a 382‑day delay in filing an appeal against the judgment dated 26‑June‑2024 in W.P. (C) No. 4992 of 2023.
- Allegations: Appellants argued that delays were due to obtaining legal opinions, record collection, and internal departmental procedures, and partly blamed the respondent’s representation dated 27‑Dec‑2024.
- Court’s observations: The Court found the explanation insufficient, noting unexplained five‑month gap before any action, further two‑month and 40‑day idle periods, misrouting of files, and lack of diligence. Cited Supreme Court precedents requiring bona‑fides and explained that casual bureaucratic narration does not satisfy S. 5 Limitation Act. Emphasised that limitation periods bind the State and cannot be waived without proper cause.
Final Outcome
- The Court dismissed the IA seeking condonation of the 382‑day delay, held that no sufficient cause was shown, and ordered that the accompanying appeal and any related IAs be disposed of and will not survive.
Topics: Condonation of Delay, Limitation Law