S.Anand v. State Rep By Inspector Of Police

A.D.JAGADISH CHANDIRA , J.

This Criminal Original Petition has been filed to enlarge the petitioner on bail in the pending trial case in S.C.No.33 of 2020, on the file of the learned Mahila Court, Nagapattinam.

2. When the matter is taken up today for hearing, the learned counsel for the petitioner would submit that the petitioner is in custody from 17.12.2019. He would further submit that despite the order passed by this Court, while dismissing the earlier bail application, directing the learned trial Court to conduct the trial on day to day basis and dispose the case within a period of six weeks from the date of receipt of a copy of that order, the trial Court has not completed the trial.

3. The learned Government Advocate (Crl.Side) produced the status report filed by the respondent Police. He would submit that there

are 62 witnesses in this case and as on 15.06.2022, 47 witnesses have been examined and thereafter, the case was posted to 24.06.2022 and after that 10 witnesses have been examined and the case is now posted on 13.09.2022 for examination of PW57. He would also submit that the remaining witnesses are all official witnesses, who have conducted the investigation in this matter. He would further submit that the respondent police will be able to complete the trial at the earliest and that they are ready to examine the witnesses.

4. This Court, while dismissing the earlier bail application, had directed the trial Court to complete the trial on day to day basis and dispose the case within a period of six weeks from the date of receipt of a copy of that order, however, it has not been completed by the trial Court. It is now submitted that the learned trial Judge is on leave and the trial is being conducted only by the learned Judge who is in in charge.

5. In view of the above said circumstances, the learned trial Judge is directed to complete the examination of witnesses and thereafter, complete the trial and deliver the judgment as expeditiously as possible, preferably within a period of six weeks from today.

6. With the above directions, this Criminal Original Petition stands disposed of.

12.09.2022 Note : Issue order copy today (12.09.2022) ham

A.D.JAGADISH CHANDIRA , J.

ham 12.09.2022