Extracted from the PDF above. The PDF is authoritative.
NHAI Vs. Chet Ram
OMP(M) No. 314/2024 18.06.2025 Present: Ms. Shreya Chauhan, Advocate, for the applicant/appellant.
Sole respondent has already been proceeded ex parte on 27.03.2025.
2. The applicant has pleaded that the impugned judgment was pronounced by the learned District Judge on 27.12.2023. Its certified copy was applied on 16.01.2024. The same was completed on 14.02.2024. However, disposal of the case on 27.12.2023 was not within the knowledge of the applicant as the same was never intimated to it by its counsel.
3.
The application is with the further averments that the applicant became aware about the disposal of the main case on closing of the financial year, the empaneled counsel for the applicant throughout the State of H.P. were directed to furnish the information of the pendency or otherwise of the cases of the appellant. That it is only thereafter the applicant came to know about the fact that the instance case had been disposed of on 27.12.2023. However, this fact was not brought to the notice of the applicant by its counsel.
4.
The applicant further submits that due to such inefficient and lackadaisical attitude of the said law
firm/counsel, M/s M.V. Kini & Co., 362 cases pending in District Mandi have been withdrawn and had been allotted to some other firm.
5.
The reasons for the delay in filing the appeal have been attributed upon having no information about disposal of the case from the counsel conducting the said case. The applicant has demonstrated its bona fide by pleading that it has already withdrawn its cases from the law firm conducting the aforesaid cases.
6.
For the cogent reasons given and established in the application, the delay in filing the main appeal is condoned. The application to stand disposed of.
Arb. Appeal No.______/2025
7.
Be registered.
List for consideration after three weeks.
OMP No._____/2025
Be registered.
Heard. Subject to deposit of entire awarded amount alongwith up to date interest in the Registry of this Court within three weeks, operation and execution of award dated 27.12.2023, passed by the learned District Judge Bilaspur, H.P. in Arbitration Case No. 63/2019 (National Highways Authority of India Vs. Chet Ram), shall remain stayed.
Application to stand disposed of.
Jyotsna Rewal Dua
Judge 18th June, 2025 (rohit)