New Delhi: The Supreme Court has sharply criticized the Allahabad High Court for repeatedly adjourning a bail plea, delaying relief for over three and a half years.
A bench led by Chief Justice of India B. R. Gavai, along with Justice N. V. Anjaria, noted that the petitioner’s bail application was adjourned 43 times. The Court stressed that such practices undermine the constitutional guarantee of personal liberty.
Bench Flags Violation of Liberty
The judges observed that bail matters demand urgency from constitutional courts. They reiterated that delays in liberty cases cannot be justified through repeated adjournments.
“Time and again we have observed that matters relating to personal liberty should be entertained with utmost speed,” the bench remarked. It warned that High Courts cannot defer bail pleas indefinitely without violating fundamental rights.
Previous Warning Ignored
The Supreme Court also recalled an earlier instance in May when a co-accused was granted bail. In that case, the Court had flagged 27 adjournments by the Allahabad High Court.
Despite that warning, the present petitioner’s bail plea suffered 43 adjournments. The bench termed this conduct unacceptable and reaffirmed that courts must prioritize liberty over procedural delays.
Bail Granted, Trial Court Directed
Granting bail to the petitioner, the Supreme Court underscored that repeated postponements in liberty matters will not be tolerated. It also directed the trial court to proceed with the case expeditiously, without further unnecessary delays.
Senior Advocate Yashraj Singh Deora, assisted by advocates Harshvardhan Jha, Yugandhara Pawar Jha, Aman Pathak, and Priyesh Mohan Srivastava, appeared for the petitioner. The respondent-CBI was represented by Additional Solicitor General S. D. Sanjay with advocates Mukesh Kumar Maroria, Akshay Amritanshu, Praneet Pranav, and Madhav Sinhal.
