Vipul M. Pancholi, J.

Civil Application No.4 of 2017 in Letters Patent Appeal No.1015 of 2017 has been filed by the applicants for condonation of delay of 104 days caused in preferring Letters Patent Appeal against the order dated 30.9.2016 passed by the learned Single Judge in Civil Application No.2560 of 2016 and Miscellaneous Civil Application No.1092 of 2016 whereas Civil Application No.2887 of 2018 has been filed by the applicants seeking leave of this Court to grant permission to the applicants to file an appeal against the judgment and order dated 12.4.2013 passed by the learned Single Judge in Special Civil Application No.3031 of 2007. As the issue involved in both these applications are similar, at the request of the learned advocates appearing for the parties, both these applications are heard together and are being disposed off by this common order.

2. At the outset, it is required to be noted that as the learned advocates appearing for the parties have addressed on the merits of the case at the time of hearing of the application for condonation of delay and for grant of leave to appeal, we have considered such submissions at this stage.

Heard learned advo