Sapan Kumar Pandit vs U.P. State Electricity Board And Ors

The Supreme Court held that the delay of fifteen years in referring an industrial dispute under Section 4-K of the U.P. Industrial Disputes Act was inordinate, leading to the presumption that no dispute existed. The Court emphasized that while disputes should be referred as long as they exist, undue delay can result in quashing the reference. The High Court's decision to quash the reference was upheld, affirming that the appellant's inaction for such a long period precluded him from raising the dispute now.