85-fast33022-2023 with ias.doc AGK IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION FIRST APPEAL (ST.) NO. 33022 OF 2023 WITH INTERIM APPLICATION NO.18115 OF 2023 WITH INTERIM APPLICATION NO.18114 OF 2023 Executive Engineer, Minor Lift Irrigation Management Division, Pune … Appellant V/s.ATUL GANESH Raghunath Raghu Thule & Ors. … Respondents KULKARNI Digitally signed by ATUL GANESH KULKARNI Date: 2026.08.11 Mr. Ashish Gabhale with Mr. Ramesh Dube Patil, and 18:37:46 +0530 Mr. Arnav Urankar i/by Jay & Co. for the appellant/ applicant. Mr. A.R. Patil, Additional G.P. for the State. CORAM : AMIT BORKAR, J. DATED : AUGUST 11, 2026 P.C.: 1. By Interim Application No.18114 of 2023, the applicant has requested that the delay of about six years in filing the First Appeal be condoned. The appeal arises from the Award passed by the District Court in Land Reference No. 51 of 2009 under Section 18 of the Land Acquisition Act. 2. The applicant seeks condonation of the delay mainly on the ground that after the certified copy became available and was delivered on 08 December 2020, the matter was considered by the legal department. A decision was then taken to file an appeal. According to the applicant, some additional time was required to 1 85-fast33022-2023 with ias.doc complete the necessary official and procedural formalities before filing the First Appeal.

3. The applicant has also claimed the benefit of exclusion of the period from March 2020 to February 2022. However, the record shows that the judgment and Award were passed on 04 October 2017. It is not disputed that the applicant was a party to the proceedings and was heard before the Award was passed. Therefore, in law, the date of the judgment itself must be treated as the date on which the applicant had knowledge of the impugned judgment and Award. It further appears that the application for a certified copy was made only on 29 September 2020. Even if the period from March 2020 until the date of applying for the certified copy is excluded from consideration, the applicant has not given any satisfactory explanation for the delay between 04 October 2017 and 29 September 2020. Similarly, no sufficient explanation has been given for the period from March 2022 till October 2023. The reason stated in paragraph 8 is general in nature and does not satisfactorily explain the delay during these periods. In these circumstances, this Court finds that sufficient cause for condonation of delay has not been shown. Hence, no case is made out for condoning the delay and the application deserves to be rejected. 4. As a result, the First Appeal cannot survive for consideration. 5. Consequently, the Interim Applications also do not survive and are disposed of accordingly. (AMIT BORKAR, J.) 2

85-fast33022-2023 with ias.doc AGK IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION FIRST APPEAL (ST.) NO. 33022 OF 2023 WITH INTERIM APPLICATION NO.18115 OF 2023 WITH INTERIM APPLICATION NO.18114 OF 2023 Executive Engineer, Minor Lift Irrigation Management Division, Pune … Appellant V/s.ATUL GANESH Raghunath Raghu Thule & Ors. … Respondents KULKARNI Digitally signed by ATUL GANESH KULKARNI Date: 2026.08.11 Mr. Ashish Gabhale with Mr. Ramesh Dube Patil, and 18:37:46 +0530 Mr. Arnav Urankar i/by Jay & Co. for the appellant/ applicant. Mr. A.R. Patil, Additional G.P. for the State. CORAM : AMIT BORKAR, J. DATED : AUGUST 11, 2026 P.C.: 1. By Interim Application No.18114 of 2023, the applicant has requested that the delay of about six years in filing the First Appeal be condoned. The appeal arises from the Award passed by the District Court in Land Reference No. 51 of 2009 under Section 18 of the Land Acquisition Act. 2. The applicant seeks condonation of the delay mainly on the ground that after the certified copy became available and was delivered on 08 December 2020, the matter was considered by the legal department. A decision was then taken to file an appeal. According to the applicant, some additional time was required to 1 85-fast33022-2023 with ias.doc complete the necessary official and procedural formalities before filing the First Appeal.

3. The applicant has also claimed the benefit of exclusion of the period from March 2020 to February 2022. However, the record shows that the judgment and Award were passed on 04 October 2017. It is not disputed that the applicant was a party to the proceedings and was heard before the Award was passed. Therefore, in law, the date of the judgment itself must be treated as the date on which the applicant had knowledge of the impugned judgment and Award. It further appears that the application for a certified copy was made only on 29 September 2020. Even if the period from March 2020 until the date of applying for the certified copy is excluded from consideration, the applicant has not given any satisfactory explanation for the delay between 04 October 2017 and 29 September 2020. Similarly, no sufficient explanation has been given for the period from March 2022 till October 2023. The reason stated in paragraph 8 is general in nature and does not satisfactorily explain the delay during these periods. In these circumstances, this Court finds that sufficient cause for condonation of delay has not been shown. Hence, no case is made out for condoning the delay and the application deserves to be rejected. 4. As a result, the First Appeal cannot survive for consideration. 5. Consequently, the Interim Applications also do not survive and are disposed of accordingly. (AMIT BORKAR, J.) 2