Ankit Singh v. State Of West Bengal

C.R.R. 955 of 2022 Court No.

Item 33 Ssi In the matter of:- Ankit Singh.

25.03.

(via video conference) Mr. Soujanya Bandyopadhyay ...for the petitioner Mr. Bidyut Kumar Roy Mr. Pratick Bose ...for the State This is an application seeking an expeditious disposal of a proceeding in which a charge-sheet was submitted under Section 21 (c ) of the N.D.P.S. Act. Let a copy of this application be served upon Mr. Bidyut Kumar Roy and Mr. Pratick Bose, learned advocates, who are present in Court today and who ordinarily appears on behalf of the State. Their engagement may be regularised in due course by the competent authority of the State.

Learned counsel appearing on behalf of the petitioner submits as follows. The petitioner is an accused in this case. He is in custody since 06.08.2019 the date on which the First Information Report was registered. Charge-sheet was submitted in 2020. Supplementary charge-sheet was submitted in 2021. The prosecution intends to examine 10 witnesses in this case. Charge was framed on 20.12.2021. Yet, till date

not a single witness could be examined. Reliance is placed on Case Flow Management Rules of the High Court, 2006, Notification No.

4680G dated 6th December, 2006 and it is submitted that in such cases where the petitioner is facing custody trial for more than three months, an endeavour should be made to conclude the proceeding within nine months. The present proceeding has remained pending for no fault of the present petitioner.

Learned counsel for the State submits that the State would not come in the way if a direction is passed to expedite the proceeding.

I have heard the submissions of the learned counsels appearing on behalf of the petitioner and the State and have perused the revision petition. It appears that an inordinate delay has been occasioned in concluding the proceeding, especially considering the fact that the petitioners are in custody since 06.08.2019.

In view of the above and in the interest of justice, I request the learned trial Court to conclude the proceeding as expeditiously as possible without granting any unnecessary adjournment to any of the parties, preferably within a period of nine months from the next date of hearing.

With these observations, the revisional

application is disposed of.

Urgent photostat certified copies of this order may be delivered to the learned Advocates for the parties, if applied for, upon compliance of all formalities. (Jay Sengupta, J.)