Summary: A 3-year delay in filing a review request by Zilla Parishad Aurangabad was not accepted by the Bombay High Court. The court stressed that time limits apply equally to government bodies and private individuals.
In the case involving the Chief Executive Officer of Zilla Parishad Aurangabad and others versus Ambadas Yeduba Jumde and others, the main issue was a significant delay in filing a review request. The Zilla Parishad wanted to review an order from June 11, 2019, but only submitted the request after more than three years.
The applicants argued that the delay was due to the slow decision-making process of local government bodies. They claimed the process of getting instructions and completing paperwork was slow and not on purpose.
"The decision-making process of the local self-government is clumsy and time-consuming," they stated.
The court, led by Justices R. G. Avachat and Abasaheb D. Shinde, was not convinced by these explanations. They emphasized that both private and government entities must show a "good reason" for delays.
"Just because the applicants are local self-government does not mean they can avoid showing a good reason."
The court referred to several past cases, including the case of Postmaster General vs. Living Media India Limited, highlighting that government bodies are not given special treatment regarding delays.
"The law of limitation undoubtedly applies to everyone, including the Government."
Ultimately, the court found that the reasons provided did not count as a good reason for the delay. The request to excuse the delay was dismissed, and the review request was closed.
This case serves as a reminder that all individuals or groups, including government bodies, need to act quickly and within the legal time limits. The law on time limits is strict, and exceptions are not easily granted without strong reasons.
