On a packed Tuesday morning in Court No. 11, the Supreme Court turned its attention to a growing administrative logjam involving land and vendor disputes in Chandigarh. The bench, while hearing a petition filed by Malkit Singh and another, expressed concern over the sheer number of cases stuck at different levels, and issued time-bound directions to bring some order into the process.
Background
The case reached the top court as a Special Leave Petition challenging a May 2025 judgment of the Punjab and Haryana High Court. At its core, the dispute involves vendors who have obtained interim protection, meaning temporary relief, while their cases remain undecided.
Read also:- Bombay High Court Says 'Technical Breaks' Can't Deny Maternity Leave, Orders Maharashtra Medical College to Pay Assistant Professor Dues
During the hearing, lawyers informed the court that nearly 50 similar matters are pending before the High Court, many with stays operating in favour of vendors. On top of that, around 170 cases are lying undecided before the Grievance Redressal and Dispute Resolution Committee, a body meant to quickly resolve such issues.
As one counsel quietly remarked outside the courtroom, “Everyone is waiting on everyone else. Files just don’t move.”
Court’s Observations
The bench of Justice Sanjay Karol and Justice Nongmeikapam Kotiswar Singh took note of these submissions and did not appear impressed by the delays. The judges first dealt with a procedural request, granting the Chandigarh Administration an additional week to comply with an earlier order passed on December 16.
Read also:- Kerala High Court refuses bail to Palakkad man accused of bus harassment, says grave allegations block extraordinary relief under new
“The time for complying with the order… may be extended by one week,” the bench observed, while directing that an affidavit confirming compliance must be filed within two weeks.
More importantly, the judges addressed the larger picture. The court recorded that dozens of cases were effectively frozen due to interim orders, while many more were awaiting a first decision altogether. Such pendency, the bench hinted, defeats the purpose of setting up grievance committees in the first place.
Decision
The Supreme Court requested the Punjab and Haryana High Court to take up the pending interim applications “as expeditiously as possible,” and preferably within three weeks. Responding to this, counsel for the Union Territory of Chandigarh assured the bench that steps would be initiated by December 18 itself.
Read also:- Karnataka High Court Quashes Trial Court Stay in ₹2.33 Crore Hotel Dispute, Cites Judicial Consistency and Misuse of CPC Section 10
In a firm direction, the court also ordered the Grievance Redressal and Dispute Resolution Committee to positively decide all pending matters within two weeks from the date of the order. The bench indicated that further interim directions may follow and reserved the matter for orders, while instructing the Registry to immediately communicate its directions to all concerned authorities.
Case Title: Malkit Singh & Another vs State of U.T. Chandigarh & Others
Case No.: Special Leave Petition (Civil) No. 21349 of 2025
Case Type: Special Leave Petition (Civil) before the Supreme Court of India
Decision Date: 17 December 2025
