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Justice delayed: Supreme Court flags ‘shocking’ 4-year bail delay; to alert Allahabad HC Chief

The Supreme Court directed that its order should be placed before the Allahabad High Court Chief Justice for his consideration.

The court issued the order on Monday while hearing a petition filed by Uzma Abid, wife of murder convict Farhan Ahmed, who is lodged in the jail’s high-security section of the jail. (File Photo)

The Supreme Court was “shocked” to learn this week that a murder case accused’s bail application was pending before the Allahabad High Court for the last four years. However, noting that the trial is likely to be completed soon, the court desisted from seeking an explanation and directed that its order be placed before the Allahabad High Court Chief Justice for his consideration.

“We are shocked to learn from the learned counsel appearing for the petitioner that the bail application filed by the petitioner in the High Court of Judicature at Allahabad…is still pending as on date,” a bench of Justices J B Pardiwala and R Mahadevan said on Monday.

Seeking interim bail, the counsel for the accused, Imran, told the bench that the bail application before the high court had been adjourned multiple times and that the co-accused had been granted bail. But the Supreme Court declined the prayer, given that the trial was at an advanced stage.

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“We are informed that the high court has yet to take an appropriate decision on the said bail application. We are further informed that the trial is in progress. The prosecution has closed its evidence. Perhaps, what is now left could be the recording of the further statement of the petitioner-accused under Section 313 of the Cr.P.C. and the final arguments…Since the trial is on the verge of completion, we are not willing to call for any report from the High Court as to why this bail application is pending (for the) past 04 years,” the bench said.

“However, the Registry shall forward this order to the High Court with a request to place this order before Hon’ble Chief Justice of the High Court of Allahabad for his kind consideration,” it ordered.

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