JUDGMENT

Prathiba M. Singh, J. - This hearing has been held through video conferencing.

2. The present petition has been filed challenging the impugned order dated 12th October, 2020 passed by the Central Government Industrial Tribunal (hereinafter, CGIT) by which the Petitioner was directed to deposit Rs.1,00,000/-, which is 20% of the assessed amount of damages, within three weeks of the passing of the order, as a pre-condition for entertaining the appeal filed by the Petitioner.

3. The submission of Mr. Arora, ld. counsel for the Petitioner is that even the original order dated 18th October, 2019 passed by the Assistant Provident Fund Commissioner (hereinafter as ''APFC''), Gurgaon under Sections 14B and 7Q of Employees Provident Fund and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952 (hereinafter ''EPF Act''), was almost an ex-parte order as the Petitioner did not get adequate opportunity to file its documents before the APFC. Ld. counsel further submits that though the Authorised Representative of the Petitioner was appearing on various dates before the APFC, the Managing Partner had to undergo by-pass surgery because of which various documents could not be filed. So, the assessment has be