Monajat Gazi v. State Of West Bengal

C.R.R. 2395 of 2021 Court No.

Item 56 ssi In the matter of:- Monajat Gazi 01.12.

Ms. Malashree Ghosh ....for the petitioner Mr. Imran Ali Ms. Manisha Sharma ...for the State This is an application seeking expeditious disposal of a proceeding in which a charge-sheet was submitted under Section 21 (c) of the NDPS Act.

Let a copy of this application be served upon Mr. Imran Ali and Ms. Manisha Sharma, learned advocates, who are present in Court today and who ordinarily appear 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 06.03,2019, the date on which the FIR was lodged. Although the charge-sheet was submitted in March, 2019 and the supplementary charge-sheet was also submitted in September 2019, till date the proceeding could not be concluded. There are 7 witnesses mentioned in the charge-sheet. However, even

after framing of charge in February, 2020, till date not a single witness could be examined. The 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 petitioner is in custody since 06.03.2019.

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 ten 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.)