Rekha Singh And Others v. State Of West Bengal And ORS.
In The High Court at Calcutta Criminal Revisional Jurisdiction Appellate Side Coram:
The Hon'ble Justice Jay Sengupta CRR 1709 of 2025 Smt. Rekha Singh & Ors.
Vs.
State of West Bengal & Ors.
For the petitioners : Mr. Arnab Mukherjee Mr. Hiranmoy Debnath For the State : Ms. Sreyasi Biswas Ms. Poulami Bose Heard on : 02.09.2025 Judgment on : 02.09.2025 Jay Sengupta, J.:- Although this is an application praying for quashing of proceeding in G.R. Case No. 5337 of 2020 pending before the learned Judicial Magistrate, 1st Court, Barrackpore, North 24 Parganas arising out of Bizpore Police Station Case No. 377 of 2020 dated 16.09.2020 where a charge-sheet was submitted under Section 420/406/447/465/323 and 120(B) of the Indian Penal Code, learned counsel appearing on behalf of the petitioners submits that the petitioners would not like to press the
application for quashing and would instead, pray for expeditious disposal of the impugned proceeding.
Affidavit of service and supplementary affidavit filed on behalf of the petitioners are taken on record.
Learned counsel appearing for the petitioners submits as follows. The petitioners are the accused in this case. While the FIR was lodged on 16.9.2020, a charge-sheet was submitted on 13.1.2021. Yet, till date even charges could not be framed. On 25.8.2025 the next date for hearing was fixed on 9.8.2027. The impugned proceeding is pending for no fault of the present petitioners.
Learned counsel appearing for the State submits that in the interest of justice, the next date fixed by the Trial Court nearly after two years ought to be preponed and the matter may be expedited.
No prejudice will be caused to anyone if a direction is passed to expedite the proceeding.
It appears that although the Investigating Agency did their job in time and filed a charge-sheet in January, 2021 for an FIR that was lodged in September, 2020, delay was committed thereafter. There is an inordinate delay in conducting the proceeding before the learned Trial Court. I find no justification in fixing the next date of hearing after about two years from date.
In view of the above and in the interest of justice, the learned Trial Court is directed to prepone the next date of hearing to any date in the month of November, 2025 and thereafter, to expeditiously conclude the
proceeding in this case. The Trial Court shall make an endeavour to decide the question of framing of charges within three months from the next date of hearing that would be fixed in November, 2025. With the above observations and directions, the revisional application is disposed of.
It is clarified that the merits of the case have not been gone into. Urgent photostat certified copy of this order, if applied for, be given to the parties upon compliance with requisite formalities. (Jay Sengupta, J.)