IN THE HIGH COURT OF ORISSA AT CUTTACK CONTC No. 5537 of 2025 Premananda Behera …. Petitioner Mr. Pratyasish Mohanty, Advocate -versus- Sri Manas Ranjan Barik, Principal Secretary, Law Department, Bhubaneswar and others …. Opposite Parties Mr. Debashis Tripathy, Advocate CORAM: HON’BLE THE CHIEF JUSTICE AND HON’BLE MR JUSTICE BIRAJA PRASANNA SATAPATHY Order No. ORDER 08.05.2026 05. 1. It appears that the instant contempt application is taken out by the petitioner beyond the period of limitation provided under Section-20 of the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971. Though an application for condonation of delay is filed, but in view of the decision rendered by the Supreme Court in the case of Pallav Sheth v. Custodian and others; reported in (2001) 7 SCC 549, the contempt petition filed beyond the period of limitation is not maintainable. 2. Accordingly, the instant contempt petition is dismissed on the ground of limitation. 3. However, the dismissal of the present contempt petition will not prevent the petitioner from exhausting the remedy as available in the statute. (Harish Tandon) Chief Justice (Biraja Prasanna Satapathy) Judge S. Behera