1. All the Civil Applications under Section-5 of the Limitation Act have been preferred by the applicant/s for condonation of delay of 113 days caused in preferring First Appeal against the judgment and order dated 15/06/2012 delivered by the learned Principal Senior Civil Judge, Bharuch in Land Reference Case No.904 of 2010 to 914 of 2010 with Land Reference Case No.1002 of 2010.
2. The reasons for delay caused in preferring Appeal are narrated in paragraph No/s.3 & 4 of the application. As such, the opponent/s has/have not controverted or challenged any of the reasons/ explanations stated by the applicant in the said paragraph/s.
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 applicant. In nutshell, 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 applicant, the applicant cannot be non-suited at threshold and thus, deprived of substantial justice which has been made available to the applicant 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 Appeals is hereby condoned.
4. All applications stand disposed of. Rule is made absolute accordingly.
(S.H.VORA, J.) aruna Page 2 of 2