JUDGMENT :

SANDEEP SHARMA, J.

1. Since there is a delay of two years, ten months and eight days in maintaining the accompanying appeal, whereby applicants/appellants intend to lay challenge to Award dated 7.8.2015, passed by learned District Judge (Forests), Shimla in Land Reference No. 36-S/4 of 2013/12, instant application has been filed, seeking therein condonation of delay in maintaining the appeal.

2. By way of detailed reply to the application, aforesaid prayer made on behalf of the applicants/appellants has been seriously opposed by the non-applicant/respondent, who has categorically stated in the reply that the delay of more that 1042 days has not been explained properly and no plausible explanation qua inordinate delay in filing the appeal has been rendered on record.

3. Before proceeding further to decide the application at hand on its merit, it may be noticed that, having taken note of aforesaid objection raised by the nonapplicant/ respondent, this Court, with a view to afford an opportunity to the applicants/appellants to explain the delay, granted time to file a supplementary affidavit and also summoned the record with regard to the legal opinion rendered by the Law Depar