Signing you in

Making strong remarks on the functioning of the trial court, the Lucknow Bench of the High Court said that keeping a criminal case pending for more than two decades runs contrary to the constitutional guarantee of a speedy and fair trial under Article 21. The court also granted anticipatory bail to the two accused in the case.

In its order, the High Court said there had been no meaningful progress in the trial for years and that the criminal proceedings had been reduced to a mere formality. It said justice cannot be kept pending indefinitely. Referring to the phrase 'tareekh pe tareekh' — a well-known dialogue from the Sunny Deol-starrer Damini — the court said repeated adjournments cannot define the criminal justice delivery system.

The court directed both accused to surrender before the trial court within two weeks and said they should be released on anticipatory bail subject to specified conditions. It also clarified that the observations made in the bail order should not influence the trial court while deciding the case on its merits.- EndsPublished By: India Today Web Desk Published On: Jul 18, 2026 01:18 IST