Supreme Court to Hear Plea Challenging Chhattisgarh HC Order; Condonation of Delay Sought in Criminal Matter

Supreme Court Takes Up Plea Against Chhattisgarh High Court Order, Considers Preliminary Applications

New Delhi – The Supreme Court of India is set to hear a Special Leave Petition (SLP) filed by Usha Singh & Anr. challenging a final judgment from the High Court of Chhattisgarh. The case, which is at a preliminary stage before the apex court, currently centers on procedural applications, including requests to condone delays in filing.

Case Background

The petitioners, Usha Singh & Anr., have approached the Supreme Court after being aggrieved by a judgment and order dated January 22, 2025, passed by the High Court of Chhattisgarh at Bilaspur in a criminal writ petition (WPCR No. 277/2024). The substantive details of the High Court's ruling and the underlying criminal matter have not yet been presented or argued before the Supreme Court.

The current matter before the apex court is registered under SLP (Criminal) Diary No. 27076/2025.

Focus on Procedural Hurdles

Before the Supreme Court can delve into the merits of the case, it must first address several Interlocutory Applications (IAs) filed by the petitioners. These applications are critical for the case to proceed and include:

• IA No. 204211/2025: A plea for the condonation of delay in filing the petition. This suggests the petitioners missed the statutory deadline for approaching the Supreme Court after the High Court's decision.
• IA No. 204217/2025: A request for condonation of delay in refiling the petition or curing defects, indicating that the initial filing may have had procedural errors that needed correction.
• IA No. 204212/2025 & 204215/2025: Applications seeking exemption from filing a certified copy of the impugned High Court judgment and its official translation, respectively.

Legal Principles at Play

At this initial stage, the legal principles in focus are purely procedural. The court's first task will be to determine if the petitioners have provided "sufficient cause" to justify the delay in filing their appeal, as required under the Limitation Act. The court's power to condone delay is discretionary and is exercised to advance substantial justice. It will weigh the reasons for the delay against the potential prejudice to the respondents.

Only if the court allows these preliminary applications, particularly the condonation of delay, will it issue notice to the respondents and proceed to hear the arguments on the main legal questions raised in the petition.

Court's Decision and Implications

The Supreme Court has not yet issued a substantive ruling on the merits of the SLP. The current proceedings are confined to the procedural applications filed by the petitioners. The outcome of these applications will determine whether the appeal is admitted for a full hearing.

The decision to condone the delay will allow the petitioners to argue their case against the Chhattisgarh High Court's order. A dismissal of these applications would effectively end the petitioners' appeal at the Supreme Court on procedural grounds, without any examination of the legal merits. The matter remains pending for further orders.