1. The present Civil Application under Section 5 of the Limitation Act has been preferred by the applicants for condonation of delay of 65 days caused in preferring Appeal against the judgment and award dated 9.7.2012 delivered by the learned Principal Senior Civil Judge, Bharuch, in Land Acquisition Reference No.483 of 2007.
2. The reasons for delay caused in preferring Appeal are narrated in paragraph Nos.2 and 3 of the application. As such, the opponent has not controverted or challenged any of the reasons/explanations stated by the applicant in the said paragraphs.
3. The words sufficient cause for not making the application within the period of limitation should be applied in a reasonable and liberal manner depending upon the facts and circumstances of the case and type of the case. The word sufficient cause in Section 5 of the Limitation Act needs a liberal construction so as to advance substantial justice when the delay is not on account of any dilatory tactics, want of bonafides or deliberate inaction on the part of the applicants. In nut shell, the decisive factor for condonation of delay is not the length of delay but sufficiency and satisfactory explanation. Since there is nothing on record so as to infer inaction or want of bonafides that can be attributed to the applicants, the applicant cannot be non-suited at threshold and thus, deprived of substantial justice which has been made available to the applicants by way of statutory appeal. So, in order to advance substantial justice to the applicant, the explanation of delay does not smack of malafides and the delay caused in preferring the Appeal is hereby condoned. The application stands disposed of. Rule is made absolute accordingly.
(S.H.VORA, J.) YNVYAS Page 2 of 2