The Supreme Court issues a directive for swift adjudication of bail applications by all High Courts.
The Supreme Court, in the case of RAJANTI DEVI @ RAJANTI KUMARI VERSUS THE UNION OF INDIA, has directed all courts to diligently adhere to its directives for swift judgment delivery and the disposition of bail applications. Justices Bela Trivedi and Satish Chandra Sharma instructed High Courts to meticulously follow the Supreme Court's guidelines and also granted them the autonomy to establish a mechanism for the expeditious handling of bail applications.
This directive arose due to a delay in the Patna High Court's judgment on an anticipatory bail application, which was reserved for orders on 07.04.2022 but released nearly a year later on 04.04.2023. The Supreme Court, dissatisfied with the delay, noted its concerns about the prolonged disposal of bail applications.
Referring to its judgment in Anil Rai Vs. State of Bihar, the Court reiterated guidelines, including the addition of a column in judgments specifying the date of reserving and pronouncing the judgment. The Court also emphasized the Chief Justices' responsibility to track cases where judgments are not pronounced promptly and outlined steps for timely action.
Additionally, the court cited its decision in the case of Satendra Kumar Antil Vs. Central Bureau of Investigation and Anr, which mandated the disposal of bail applications within two weeks, with anticipatory bail applications expected to be resolved within six weeks.
Expressing dissatisfaction with the recurrent delays despite issued guidelines, the court entrusted High Courts to develop a system to monitor and verify the pending cases reserved for judgments at the end of each month.