New Delhi, Nov. 17 - A rather unusual scene unfolded inside the Supreme Court’s chamber on Monday afternoon, where dozens of contempt-related diary matters filed by Rameshwar and other petitioners against the State of Haryana came up together. Justice Manmohan, who was hearing the matters in-chamber, dealt with a mix of withdrawals and procedural delays, ultimately closing several petitions while giving others one last window to fix defects.
Background
The petitions-running into an enormous list of diary numbers-stemmed from grievances that the State had not complied with earlier directions. However, when the matters were called, many petitioners appeared ready to step back. Their lawyers, representing different petitioners across scattered diary entries, indicated that they no longer wished to press the petitions.
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From the outside, it looked like a typical procedural hearing, but inside, the mood was slightly restless. Advocates shuffled papers, some whispering clarifications as Justice Manmohan scanned through the long cause list. The court made it clear that if litigants wanted to withdraw, the bench would not stand in their way.
Court’s Observations
During the brief interaction, the judge addressed the lawyers with a measured tone. “If you are seeking to withdraw, permission will be granted,” the bench observed, almost signalling that the court was inclined to reduce docket burden created by multiple overlapping petitions.
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Once the withdrawal requests were confirmed, the court recorded it simply-no long reasoning, no additional remarks. For the remaining petitions, the judge looked mildly concerned about the continued non-compliance with filing norms.
“Defects cannot remain pending indefinitely,” the bench noted in substance while giving a final opportunity. The court reminded counsel that defective filings delay justice and clog the registry, which already handles thousands of matters daily. It wasn’t a rebuke, but more like a calm nudge that “enough is enough.”
Decision
The order that followed was crisp, almost surgical. Justice Manmohan first allowed the withdrawal of eleven diary matters, including Diary Nos. 35723/2025, 42767/2025, 42998/2025, 42243/2025, 42857/2025, 41572/2025, 43096/2025, 42993/2025, 41935/2025, 42877/2025, and 42415/2025. “Permission granted. The present matters stand dismissed as withdrawn,” the order stated.
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For all remaining petitions, the judge issued a clear ultimatum:
Six weeks to cure all pending defects.
If the petitioners fail to correct the technical or procedural deficiencies within that timeframe, the petitions will “stand dismissed without further reference to the Court.” The court also directed that once the defects are fixed, the matters should be processed for listing before the Judge-in-Chambers or the appropriate court as per rules.
With that, the hearing wrapped up quietly. No dramatic exchanges, no drawn-out arguments-just a straightforward clean-up of an overgrown docket.
Case Title: Rameshwar vs. State of Haryana
Case Type: Contempt Petition (Civil)
Case No.: Diary No. 22079/2025 (with multiple connected diary matters)
Decision Date: 17 November 2025
