Barkat Ali Zaidi, President—Against an award passed by the District Forum (East), on 4.5.2007 the appellant OP Standard Chartered Bank, has come in appeal before this Commission.

2. The appeal is admittedly filed beyond the prescribed limitation and the appellant has applied for condonation of delay of 124 days involved in filing this appeal.

3. We have heard Mr. Puneet K. Bhalla, Counsel for the appellant OP Bank and Mr, Sugreev Dubey, Counsel for the respondent at the preliminary stage of admission in the appeal.

4. The reason given in the delay is that file got misplaced in the office of the Advocate of the appellant, which cannot be deemed to be sufficient tenable reason for condonation. If the delay is to be condoned on such flimsy ground everybody would come and say that his papers got misplaced and delay be condoned. When specific time has been provided by law for a specific purpose, the Court must be extremely reluctant to condone the delay and there should be insistence for the particular act being done within the prescribed time. Granting extension of time on such ground, would be placing premium on lethargy and disregard for law.

5. The application for condonatio