'Failure of judicial system': SC on 45-year-old case
The Supreme Court of India has granted bail to a 70-year-old convict in a 45-year-old double murder case, citing the 'disturbing' 44-year delay in judicial proceedings. The court criticized the trial court and High Court for the excessive time taken to conclude the trial and appeal, labeling the situation a failure of the judicial system.
Why it matters
This case highlights systemic inefficiencies in the Indian judiciary, raising critical questions about the right to a speedy trial and the human rights implications of prolonged incarceration for elderly prisoners.
NEW DELHI: It took a lower court 22 years to complete trial in a double murder case and another 22 years for Jharkhand high court to decide the appeal, and during the long proceedings, five of six accused died and the sole surviving bed-ridden convict in his 70s is fighting a legal battle in Supreme Court from jail.Terming the inordinate delay in deciding the case a failure of the judicial system, a bench of Justices J B Pardiwala and K Vinod Chandran suspended the sentence of the convict and allowed him to come out of jail on bail.
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