Jiaul Hoque And ORS v. Union Of India

6.4.2022 sb CRR 1127 of 2022 In the matter of : Jiaul Haque & Ors.

.......Petitioners Mr. Sourav Chatterjee Mr. Aditya Tiwari .......for the Petitioners Mr. Y.J. Dastoor ...ld. Additional Solicitor General This is an application seeking an expeditious disposal of the proceedings under Sections 15(c) and 29 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985.

Let a copy of the application be served upon the learned Additional Solicitor General.

Learned counsel for the petitioner submits as follows. The petitioner is in custody in this case since he was arrested on 4.8.2018. Charges were framed against the petitioner on 8.10.2020.

The prosecution proposes to examine eleven witnesses. However, till date only two out of the eleven witnesses could be examined, one in full and the other in part. The proceeding has remained for no fault of the present petitioners. Learned senior counsel appearing on behalf of the opposite party submits that the opposite party would not come in the way if a direction is passed to expedite the trial. I have heard the submissions of the learned counsel for the petitioners and the opposite party and have perused the revision petition.

It appears that an inordinate delay has been occasioned in this case, especially considering the fact that the petitioner is in custody since 4.8.2018.

In view of the above and in the interest of justice, I request the learned trial Court to conclude the trial as expeditiously as possible without granting any unnecessary adjournment to any of the parties and by making an endeavour to examine at least two witnesses in a month, preferably within nine months from the next date of hearing.

With the aforesaid 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.)