New Delhi, January 20: The Supreme Court has emphasized that interim orders passed by High Courts should not remain in effect indefinitely and must be dealt with swiftly. The Court highlighted that applications seeking to vacate such orders must be disposed of promptly in line with Article 226(3) of the Constitution.

A Bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and Prasanna B. Varale made this observation while disposing of a Special Leave Petition (SLP) challenging an interim status quo order issued by the Allahabad High Court. The Bench noted that the application to vacate the order had been pending since January 2025, highlighting the delay.

Referring to Article 226(3), the Court emphasized that High Courts must decide on vacation applications within two weeks if an interim order has been passed without hearing the opposite party. The provision aims to prevent the indefinite continuation of interim reliefs to the detriment of the opposing party.

The Supreme Court also acknowledged that the matter was listed before the Allahabad High Court on January 19, 2026, and declined to intervene further. It urged the High Court to address the application on its merits, without commenting on the case’s substance.

The SLP and all related applications were subsequently disposed of.