Inside Court No. 9 of the Supreme Court of India, the hearing on Friday had a familiar yet tense undertone. The bench, while calm, made it clear that patience has limits. The matter involved Satyawan Singh’s challenge against the State of Haryana, now before the top court after an adverse order from the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
Lawyers shuffled papers, dates were discussed, and by the end of it, a firm warning was placed on record-no more time beyond this.
Background
The case reaches the Supreme Court through Special Leave Petitions filed by Satyawan Singh, arising from a November 30, 2023 judgment passed in an LPA by the Punjab and Haryana High Court at Chandigarh. Along with the main appeals, applications seeking condonation of delay in refiling were also listed.
In simpler terms, the petitioner is asking the Supreme Court to step in after the High Court’s decision, while also requesting the court to excuse delays that occurred during procedural refiling. Such delay pleas are common, but they don’t always get a free pass.
Court’s Observations
A bench comprising Justice Sanjay Karol and Justice Nongmeikapam Kotiswar Singh heard the counsels on both sides. After briefly considering the submissions, the bench decided the matter was not yet ready for final arguments.
“The bench observed that the counter affidavit must be filed within three weeks,” an order dictated in open court noted, leaving little room for ambiguity. The judges also made it clear that the petitioner may file a rejoinder, if needed, before the next date.
What stood out, though, was the tone. The court specifically recorded that no further opportunity would be granted for filing these pleadings, signalling that procedural delays will not be entertained lightly going ahead.
Decision
The Supreme Court directed the respondents to file their counter affidavit within three weeks, allowed the petitioner to file a rejoinder before the next listing, fixed the matter for hearing on 06 February 2026, and clearly ordered that no further time would be granted for this purpose.
Case Title: Satyawan Singh vs. State of Haryana & Others
Case No.: SLP (Civil) Nos. 32969/2025 & 32972/2025
Case Type: Special Leave Petition (Civil)
Decision Date: 05 December 2025
