R.Seetharaman v. The State Rep By, The Inspector Of Police

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS

DATED: 23-01-2026

CORAM

THE HON'BLE MR JUSTICE A.D.JAGADISH CHANDIRA and Crl.M.P.No.781 of 2026 R.Seetharaman ..Petitioner Vs State Rep By, The Inspector of Police, Ulundurpet Police Station, Ulundurpet.

..Respondent PRAYER: Criminal Original Petition is filed under Section 528 of Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023., to call for the records in C.C.No.97 of 2016 on the file of the learned Judicial Magistrate No-I, at Ulundurpet and quash the proceedings as against the petitioner and pass all such further or other orders. For Petitioner :

Mr.V.S.Dinesh For Respondent :

Mr.S.Santhosh, Government Advocate (Criminal Side)

ORDER

This Criminal Original Petition is filed to quash the proceedings against the petitioner in C.C.No.97 of 2016, pending on the file of the learned Judicial Magistrate No-I, Ulundurpet.

2.

When the matter was taken up for hearing today, the learned Government Advocate (Criminal Side) appearing for the respondent police submitted that this is a case of the year 2016 and already, trial has commenced. He further submitted that only three witnesses are yet to be examined and the

case stands posted on 28.01.2026.

3.

At this stage, the learned counsel appearing for the petitioner submitted that most of the witnesses have turned hostile and since the matter is of the year 2016, a direction may be issued to the learned trial Judge to complete the trial within a specified time.

4.

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

5.

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 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).

6.

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.

7.

Considering the submissions made by the learned counsel for the petitioner and the learned Government Advocate (Criminal Side) and also considering that the case is of the year 2016 and the same has been pending for the past nine years, this Court directs the learned Judicial Magistrate No-I, Ulundurpet, to dispose of the case in C.C.No.97 of 2016, as expeditiously as possible, preferably within a period of four months from 28.01.2026, i.e., the next date of hearing.

8.

With the above direction, this criminal original petition stands disposed of. Consequently, connected criminal miscellaneous petition is closed. 23-01-2026 Index: Yes/No Speaking/Non-speaking order SRM Note: Issue order copy on 27.01.2026

A.D.JAGADISH CHANDIRA, J.

SRM To:

1. The Judicial Magistrate No-I, Ulundurpet.

2. The Inspector of Police, Ulundurpet Police Station, Ulundurpet.

3. The Public Prosecutor, High Court of Madras.

23-01-2026