Pritam Dutta v. State Of West Bengal And Another

NB 22.03.2021 CRR 840 of 2021 Ct. No. 32 In the matter of:- Pritam Dutta .... petitioner Mr. Avik Ghatak, Mr. Sagnik Mukherjee.

...for the petitioner.

Mr. Arijit Ganguly, Ms. Rita Datta.

...for the State.

This is an application seeking an expeditious disposal of a proceeding in which a charge sheet was submitted under Sections 323, 341 and 354 read with Section 34 of the Penal Code. Let a copy of this application be served upon Mr. Arijit Ganguly and Ms. Rita Datta, learned Counsels who ordinarily appear on behalf of the State and who are present in Court today. Their engagement may be regularised by the competent authority of the State in due course. Learned Counsel appearing on behalf of the petitioner submits as follows. The petitioner is an accused in this case. Although the First Information Report was lodged and the charge sheet was submitted as far back as in 2015 and charges were framed against five accused in 2017, till date, not a single witness could be examined.

The proceeding has remained pending for no fault on the part of the present petitioner. On 24.08.2020, the next date was fixed for evidence as 02.08.2021. Learned Counsel for the State submits that in the interest of justice the impugned proceeding ought to be expedited. I have heard the submissions of the learned Counsels appearing on behalf of the petitioner and the State and have perused the revision petition.

No prejudice will be caused to anyone, if a direction is passed to expedite the proceeding.

It appears that an inordinate delay was occasioned in concluding the impugned proceeding.

Moreover, long dates are being fixed in this case. I find no justification in fixing a date for evidence after one year. In view of the above and in the interest of justice, I request the learned Trial Court to prepone the next date of hearing to any date in the month of May, 2021 and thereafter, to conclude the proceeding as expeditiously as possible without granting any unnecessary adjournment to any of the parties, preferably within a period of ten months from the next date of hearing.

With these observations, the revisional application is disposed of. Urgent photostat certified copy of this order may be supplied to the parties expeditiously, if applied for.

(Jay Sengupta, J.)