Supreme Court Questions Delay in Undertrial Prisoner’s Trial in Jammu and Kashmir

In a recent development, the Supreme Court has raised concerns over the prolonged detention of an undertrial prisoner in Jammu and Kashmir. The prisoner, who is facing murder charges, has been held in jail for seven years without the completion of his trial.

The bench, comprising of Justices JB Pardiwala and KV Viswanathan, expressed dissatisfaction with the slow progress of the case. Out of the 19 proposed prosecution witnesses, only four have been examined so far, prompting the court to seek explanations from both the J-K government and the trial court on the reasons behind the prolonged delay in the trial.

If valid reasons for the delay are not provided, the state government and the prosecuting agency will face repercussions from the court. The bench emphasized the importance of a timely trial and demanded a satisfactory explanation for the delay from the state government’s counsel.

Meanwhile, the counsel representing the state government requested more time to respond to a bail application filed by the undertrial prisoner, Anoop Singh. Singh, who is accused of murder under the Ranveer Penal Code, has been in custody since 2018, awaiting trial.

The Supreme Court highlighted the reliance on circumstantial evidence in the case and expressed concern over the prolonged detention of the petitioner. The court’s January 22 order called for an explanation from the J-K government and directed the apex court registry to inquire about the status of the trial and the reasons behind the seven-year delay.

Notably, the high court had previously denied regular bail to Singh and instructed the lower court to expedite the trial process. The case, registered in 2018 at Bari Brahmana police station, falls under Section 302 of the Ranbir Penal Code (now IPC) in District Samba, Jammu and Kashmir.

The high court’s decision to prioritize a speedy trial for Singh emphasized the importance of concluding the trial expeditiously without unnecessary delays. The petitioner’s involvement in a serious offence punishable by life imprisonment underscored the urgency of expediting the trial proceedings.

Overall, the Supreme Court’s intervention in the delay of the undertrial prisoner’s trial in Jammu and Kashmir sheds light on the importance of timely justice delivery and the need for efficient trial proceedings in such cases.