Bar against entertaining belated writ petitions involving disputed questions of fact

Extraordinary writ jurisdiction under Article 226 of the Constitution of India ought not to be exercised to entertain petitions filed after an inordinate, unexplained delay of nearly a decade challenging completed commercial constructions. When private parties seek judicial intervention long after massive infrastructure projects like shopping malls and hotels have been constructed, operationalized, and fully integrated, laches and gross delay operate as an absolute bar to relief. Writ proceedings are unsuited for adjudicating complicated, highly disputed questions of fact that require detailed evaluation of historical records and planning permissions. Entertaining such stale claims undermines commercial certainty and prejudices bona fide third-party rights created over years of public and private investment. (Raj Singh Gehlot & Ors. v. Amitabha Sen & Ors. | 2026 INSC 77)