In Brief
The appellant, an injured workman, filed an appeal under the Workmen Compensation Act challenging inadequate compensation but incurred a 145-day delay due to loss of employment and financial hardship. The High Court rejected his condonation application, preventing adjudication on merits. The Supreme Court held this approach myopic and unreasonable, finding the delay not abnormal given the appellant's circumstances. The Court set aside the High Court's order and remitted the case for decision on merits, emphasizing that injured workmen facing financial distress warrant procedural flexibility to enable substantive justice.
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