In Brief
This Special Leave Petition concerning an interim order in a civil suit became infructuous when the underlying suit was decided during pendency. The Supreme Court used this occasion to reaffirm long-standing principles on its discretionary powers under Article 136. The Court held that Article 136 vests it with exceptional, residuary powers to be exercised sparingly in cases of grave injustice and special circumstances. The Court rejected suggestions to restrict these powers to reduce case backlog, deciding instead that the discretion must be exercised individually on case facts, with circumspection but not by rigid rules."
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