The Supreme Court in Satheesh V.K. vs Federal Bank Ltd. (2025 INSC 1140) has ruled that once a Special Leave Petition (SLP) is withdrawn unconditionally, the petitioner cannot file another one against the same order.
The dispute stemmed from a loan default where the borrower challenged the Kerala High Court’s order upholding recovery steps initiated by the bank under the SARFAESI Act. The borrower had earlier approached the apex court but withdrew his SLP without securing permission to refile. He later attempted to challenge the High Court’s ruling again, including through a petition against the dismissal of his review plea.
Dismissing the fresh SLPs, the Court underscored that unconditional withdrawal is treated as giving up the challenge altogether. Drawing parallels with civil procedure rules, the bench cautioned that allowing repeated petitions would encourage forum shopping and endless litigation. It also clarified that a review dismissal by a High Court is not independently appealable.
- Case: Sateesh V.K. Vs Federal Bank Ltd
- Citation: 2025 INSC 1140
- Judgement date: 23RD September 2025
- Bench: J Dipankar Datta, J K.V. Viswanathan
Click HERE for full judgment
Written By: Shubh Tewari
Lawcutor 