The Supreme Court’s registrar court on Thursday dealt with a cluster of special leave petitions linked to the Minor Irrigation Division, and the focus stayed firmly on procedure, not merits. The hearing was short, orderly, and very much about timelines. By the end of it, the message was clear: parties must put their paperwork in order before the matters can move forward.
The cases were taken up before Registrar Mashroor Alam Khan, who heard counsel from both sides and passed routine but significant directions to streamline the proceedings.
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Background
At the centre of the batch is a set of Special Leave Petitions filed by the Executive Engineer, Minor Irrigation Division, against Sunil and several other respondents. The petitions arise from different connected disputes, which have now reached the Supreme Court after earlier rounds in lower courts.
Because the petitions were filed as diary matters, several applications accompanied them. These included requests to condone delays in filing or refiling, and applications seeking exemption from submitting certified copies or other formal documents. In simple terms, the petitioners were asking the Court to excuse procedural delays so that the cases could still be heard.
On Thursday, lawyers representing the petitioners and the respondents were present when the registrar took up the matters for directions.
Court’s Observations
After hearing both sides, the registrar did not go into the substance of the disputes. Instead, he focused on ensuring that all respondents place their version on record. In one of the matters, the Court noted issues related to service of notice. It was recorded that service was complete on some respondents, while others had not yet entered appearance.
“The matter cannot move ahead unless responses are properly filed,” the bench observed in substance, indicating that counter affidavits are essential for the Court to understand the stand of each respondent. A counter affidavit, in plain language, is the written reply filed by the opposite party answering the claims made in the petition.
The registrar also took note of cases where service was still awaited, and directed that the matters be listed again after compliance.
Decision
In its order, the Court directed the concerned respondents across the different petitions to file their counter affidavits on or before 9 January 2026. After the filing is complete, the matters are to be processed for listing before the appropriate bench of the Supreme Court under the rules.
In one petition where service was pending on certain respondents, the Court ordered the matter to be listed again on 20 January 2026. Copies of the record of proceedings were also directed to be furnished to the advocates-on-record for necessary compliance.
Case Title: Executive Engineer, Minor Irrigation Division vs Sunil & Others
Case No.: SLP (Civil) Diary No. 9258/2025 (along with connected Diary Nos. 9260/2025, 9262/2025, 24799/2025, 25520/2025, 26378/2025)
Case Type: Special Leave Petition (Civil) – Registrar Court Proceedings
Decision Date: 12 December 2025
