Poongothai v. The State Rep. By The Inspector Of Police,

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS

DATED: 09.03.2026

CORAM:

THE HON'BLE MR.JUSTICE A.D.JAGADISH CHANDIRA Poongothai

...Petitioner

Vs.

State represented by, The Inspector of Police, Vigilance and Anti-Corruption, Vellore Detachment, Vellore.

(Crime No.20 of 2012)

...Respondent

Criminal Original Petition filed under Section 528 of BNSS, 2023, seeking to direct the learned Principal District Judge, Ranipet, to expedite the trial in Spl.C.C.No.7 of 2025 pending on his file and to dispose the same in accordance with law within a stipulated time to be fixed by this Hon'ble Court.

For Petitioner : Mr.A.Arun Anbumani For Respondent : Mr.S.Udaya Kumar, GA(Crl. Side) 1/6

ORDER

This criminal original petition has been filed by the petitioner/A3 seeking expeditious disposal of Spl.C.C.No.7 of 2025, pending on the file of the Principal District Court, Ranipet, arising out of the FIR in Crime No.20 of 2012, registered for the offences under Sections 120B, 409, 420, 465, 468, 471 & 477A of IPC and Sections 13(2) r/w. 13(1)(c) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, on the file of the respondent police, within a stipulated time.

2. Learned counsel for the petitioner submitted that the petitioner is a senior citizen and that the case in Crime No.20 of 2012 was registered in the year 2012 and after completion of investigation, the final report was originally filed before the Special Court, Vigilance and Anti Corruption, Vellore for the offences under Sections 120B, 109, 465, 468, 471 & 477A of IPC and Sections 13(2) r/w. 13(1)(c) and 13(1)(d) of the PC Act and the same was taken on file in Spl.C.C.No.14 of 2014 and the case was subsequently transferred to the file of the Chief Judicial Magistrate Court, Ranipet and re-numbered as Spl.C.C.No.7 of 2024 and the case was tried in the said Court and when the case was pending for arguments, the case was 2/6

later transferred to the file of the Principal District Court, Ranipet and now pending in Spl.C.C.No.7 of 2025. At this stage, the other accused persons have filed petitions under Sections 311 & 91 of Cr.P.C. in Crl.M.P.Nos.1260 & 1261 of 2025 respectively, seeking to recall P.W.20 and to summon certain documents, during September 2025 and the same are pending till date. He further submitted that though the petitioner attained the age of superannuation, she was not permitted to retire from service, due to the pendency of the above case and hence, the petitioner is unable to get her terminal benefits. He also submitted that despite the respondent having filed counter, the trial Court failed to dispose of the said applications and till date, the trial in the main case in Spl.C.C.No.7 of 2025, which was originally filed in the year 2014 has not yet been concluded, even after a lapse of about 12 years.

3. Heard learned counsel on either side and perused the materials available on record.

4. It is pertinent to state that a Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court, in the case of High Court Bar Association, Allahabad vs. State of 3/6

Uttar Pradesh reported in (2024) 6 SCC 267, has held that the constitutional courts, in the ordinary course, should refrain from fixing a time-bound schedule for the disposal of cases pending before any other court. The relevant portion of the said decision for the sake of ready reference is reproduced below:

"47.3. Constitutional courts, in the ordinary course, should refrain from fixing a time-bound schedule for the disposal of cases pending before any other courts. Constitutional courts may issue directions for the time-bound disposal of cases only in exceptional circumstances. The issue of prioritising the disposal of cases should be best left to the decision of the courts concerned where the cases are pending." (emphasis supplied by this Court).

5. It has also been held in the aforesaid extracted portion that in exceptional circumstances, constitutional courts may issue directions for time bound disposal of cases.

6. Considering the submission made by the learned counsel for the petitioner that the petitioner is a woman and a sexagenarian and also taking into account the fact that the case dates back to the year 2012 with the final 4/6

report originally filed in 2014, which, in the opinion of this Court, is an exceptional circumstance, this Court directs the Principal District Court, Ranipet, to dispose of the miscellaneous petitions in Crl.M.P.Nos.1260 & 1261 of 2025 within a period of one month from the date of receipt of a copy of this order and thereafter, to conclude the trial in the main case in Spl.C.C.No.7 of 2025, as expeditiously as possible, preferably within a period of four (4) months.

7. With the above directions, this criminal original petition stands disposed of.

09.03.2026 skt NCC : Yes/No To:

1. The Principal District Judge, Ranipet.

2. The Inspector of Police, Vigilance and Anti-Corruption, Vellore Detachment, Vellore.

3. The Public Prosecutor, Madras High Court.

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A.D.JAGADISH CHANDIRA, J.

skt 09.03.2026 6/6