Bariul Alam @ Bittu & ANR v. State Of West Bengal

Sl No.144 24.03.2021 Ct. No.32 suvayan C.R.R. 3187 of 2019 In the matter of: Bariul Alam @ Bittu & anr.

...petitioner Mr. Arnab Chatterjee Mr. Jisan Iqubal Hossain ... for the petitioners.

Mr. Bidyut Kr. Roy 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 20 and 29 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985.

Let a copy of this application be served upon Mr. Biyut Kr. Roy and Ms. Rita Dutta, 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 petitioners submits as follows. The petitioners are the accused in this case. They are in the custody since the date of their arrest i.e., January 6, 2019. Although the First Information Report was lodged in January 6, 2019 and a charge sheet was submitted on June 18, 2019, till date the proceeding could not be concluded. In the charge sheet nine persons were cited as prosecution witnesses. Although the charges

were framed on August 9, 2019, till date not a single witness has been examined.

Learned Counsel appearing on behalf of the State submits that it will be in the interest of justice 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 some delay was occasioned in concluding the proceeding, especially considering the fact that the petitioners are in custody since January 6, 2019. In view of the same 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 one year 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.)