On Tuesday 27 April 2021, the Supreme Court of India decided to extend the limitation period to file cases under all general and special laws across the country from March 14 until further orders in view of the pandemic Covid-19 cases surge in its second wave.
The Bench comprising of Chief Justice of India N. V. Ramana and Justice Surya Kant and Justice A. S. Bopanna passed an order in view of the surge in COVID-19 cases across the country. The Bench observed:
"For the past few weeks we have witnessed the second wave of COVID-19. It is an alarming situation, and put litigants to hardship. Thus, all limitation period which was relaxed till March 13, 2021 and ending on March 14, 2021 be extended until further orders,"
The plea for the above matter was filed by Supreme Court Advocates-on-Record Association (SCAORA) which sought suspension of limitation period to file cases under all general and special laws in view of the surge in COVID-19 cases across the country.
In this regard, SCAORA sought restoration of a March 2020, order of the Apex Court whereby the Court had taken up the issue suo motu and directed suspension of the limitation period in view of the extreme circumstances and difficulties faced by the litigants in approaching the Courts amidst prevailing pandemic situation.
The impleadment application filed through Advocate Abhinav Ramkrishna stated that a quite large number of the staff of Supreme Court has been affected by the new variant of the Covid and thus it “becomes all the more necessary to restore the order dated 23 March 2020.”