IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION

CIVIL APPEAL NO. 4682 OF 2008 (Arising out of SLP©No.18015 of 2007)

Spl.Dy.Collector (LA),K.S.E.Bd. & Anr. …Appellants.

VERSUS

Pathu & Anr. …Respondents.

O R D E R

1. Delay condoned.

2. Leave granted.

3. Having  heard  the  learned  counsel  for  the  parties  and

after  going  through  the  averments  made  in  the

application for condonation of delay in filing the appeal

and  objections  filed  thereto,  we  are  satisfied  that  the

appellants had made out sufficient cause for condoning

the  delay  of  530  days  in  filing  the  appeal  subject  to

payment of Rs.15,000/- as cost to be deposited by the

appellants  within  six  weeks  from  this  date  with  the

Registrar  of  the  High  Court  of  Kerala  at  Ernakulam.

Respondent shall be permitted to withdraw such amount

of costs, if deposited.     

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4. We,  accordingly,  set  aside  the  impugned  order  of  the

High Court and condone the delay in filing the appeal.

We, however, make it clear that in default of deposit of

payment  of  the  aforesaid  amount  to  the  respondents

within the time specified herein above, the appeal shall

stand  dismissed  and  the  impugned  order  shall  stand

affirmed. The High Court is now requested to dispose of

the appeal on merits in accordance with law after hearing

the  parties  and  after  passing  a  reasoned  order  within

three months from the date of supply of a copy of this

order to the High Court.

5. Accordingly, the appeal is allowed. There will be no order as

to costs.   

………………………J. [Tarun Chatterjee]

New Delhi;                …………… ……….J. July 21, 2008.       [Aftab Alam]

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