On Friday (April 30, 2021) The Telangana High Court extended the life of interim orders until June 30, 2021, citing the country's second wave of COVID-19 infection and the fact that several Advocates and their family members, Judicial Officers, and staff members have been infected.
The Full Bench of Chief Justice Hima Kohli, Justice M.S. Ramachandra Rao, and Justice Rajashekhar Reddy reached this decision after reviewing an appeal filed by the Chairman of the Telangana State Bar Council, which highlighted the difficulties the advocates face in attending court and obtaining extensions of interim orders in their clients' favour.
As a result, the Court, taking Suo moto cognizance of the aforementioned extraordinary circumstances and exercising the powers conferred on it by Articles 226 and 227 of the Constitution of India, directed as follows:
- All interim orders/directions issued or protection granted by this court or any other court subordinate to it, including any order requiring any compliance by the parties to such proceedings, passed by this court or any other court subordinate to it, or any Family Court or Labour Court or any Tribunal or any other Judicial or Quasi-Judicial forum over which this court has superintendence, shall be extended till June 30, 2021.
- Interim orders or directions issued by this court or any court subordinate to it that are not limited in duration and are intended to remain in effect until further orders are issued shall remain in effect until specifically modified by the court concerned in a particular case.
- Unless otherwise directed, the deadline for filing a written statement or return in any suit or proceeding pending before any civil court or other forum will be extended until June 30, 2021. It is clarified, however, that this will not prevent the parties from filing such written statement or return before June 30, 2021.
- Orders of eviction, dispossession, demolition, and other similar orders issued by this court or any court subordinate to it, or any Tribunal or Judicial or Quasi-Judicial forum that have yet to be carried out will be put on hold until June 30, 2021.
- From now until June 30, 2021, all orders granting interim protection in applications filed under Section 438 Cr. P.C. by the High Court or Sessions Courts for a limited time period with an expiry date will be extended.
- All interim bail orders issued by the High Court or Sessions Courts under Section 439 Cr. P.C. and limited by a time frame specifying an expiration date, from now until June 30, 2021, will be extended until June 30, 2021.
