Supreme Court rebukes NIA for 4-year delay in trial, grants bail to accused: ‘don’t make a mockery of justice’

While noting that the Central agency had proposed to examine 80 witnesses, the bench, also comprising Justice Ujjal Bhuyan, asked, “Tell us how many years he should remain in jail?”.

Though the counsel for NIA prayed for more time, the court declined to adjourn the hearing.

“As enshrined in the Constitution, every accused has a right to speedy trial howsoever serious the crime,” the bench said in its order, adding that in the instant case, it is convinced that this right has been frustrated, thus violating Article 21.

The Supreme Court also took note of the fact that two of the co-accused in the case had already been granted bail.

Acting on a tip-off, Mumbai police apprehended Shaikh on February 9, 2020, and allegedly recovered counterfeit currency originating from Pakistan from him. In February this year, the Bombay High Court rejected his bail plea following which he approached the apex court.