The Supreme Court justly called the long‑running delay in a Maharashtra case “shocking.” The accused has spent more than four years in jail even though a charge sheet was filed on January 13, 2022 and no formal charges have yet been framed.
Justices Ahsanuddin Amanullah and Prashant Kumar Mishra said the situation is “really shocking.” They pointed out that the Supreme Court had asked the Maharashtra government for an explanation. The state’s counsel claimed the delay was because other co‑accused had not appeared in court. The bench rejected that excuse and suggested the prosecution may be colluding with the accused.
The Court now ordered the Superintendent of Police to explain why the case has stalled and why the trial court failed to bring the co‑accused into court. The trial court must also submit a report on why the co‑accused, who are out on bail, have not been brought back. Both reports are due within three weeks.
The next hearing is set for December 2. The Supreme Court warned that if the explanations are unsatisfactory, it may take stricter action.
This is the second time this week the Supreme Court has highlighted problems in Maharashtra’s criminal trial system. Earlier in October, a different bench described the state of affairs for hundreds of cases waiting over a decade for charges to be framed. In that case, the Court directed the registrar of the Bombay High Court to explain why cases are delayed and why undertrial prisoners remain in jail for too long.
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