SC Sets Six‑Month Deadline for HT Media

Authority: Supreme Court of India

Order Date: September 25, 2026

Case Overview

• Petitioners: Rabeendra Kumar Dhakad (applicant) vs. HT Media Ltd & Anr. (respondents).
• Miscellaneous applications (Diary Nos. 23118/2026 and 23116/2026) filed in Civil Appeals No. 322/2025 and No. 323/2025 seeking a specific direction to the Labour Court to conclude the pending proceedings within six months.
• Background: By order dated 7 January 2025, the Supreme Court had disposed of the civil appeals and directed the Labour Court to conclude the proceedings expeditiously. Twenty months later, the Labour Court had not concluded the matters.
• Counsel for the petitioner argued for a fixed time‑frame; the Court considered these submissions.

Final Outcome

• The Court condoned the delay in filing the miscellaneous applications.
• It directed the Labour Court to conclude the pending proceedings within a period of six months from the date of this order.
• The miscellaneous applications were ordered to stand disposed of.
• Any pending applications, if any, were also ordered to stand disposed of.

Topics: Labour Law, Court Orders