Umamageshwari Maruthapan
The Supreme Court is hinting at lifting the extension of the limitation period for case filings that it had granted as an interim relief owing to the spread of Covid-19 Pandemic and the lockdown imposed as a result thereof.
The Bench comprising Chief Justice SA Bobde and Justices L Nageswara Rao and S Ravindra Bhat indicated about the same to the Attorney General of India. A grace period of 90 days might be provided, it added.
The Court also assured that it would also provide necessary guidelines for case filings in case of re-imposition of lockdown and had also sought suggestions from the Attorney General to help people from the containment zones to file cases.
“District Magistrate is the person who enforces the containment zone. He visits the zone once a week. He can in his discretion allow a person to go out to file a case as a matter of right if he has a negative report”, the AG submitted.
Attorney General KK Venugopal had approached the Top Court and suggested removing the extension of the limitation period as it was only a temporary provision.
Now my lords a year has elapsed. Would your lordships like to exclude the period of one year from March 15 last year to March 15 this year from limitation and give a further period of 60 or 90 days uniformly across the country?” the Attorney General said.
The Supreme Court had passed a suo moto order extending the limitation period for filing of cases until further orders.
