The accused has been in jail for murder for 7 years. SC raised questions on the delay in the trial (file photo)
Digital Desk, New Delhi. The Supreme Court has expressed displeasure that an undertrial prisoner arrested on murder charges has been lodged in a jail in Jammu and Kashmir for seven years. The top court also raised questions on the delay in the trial.
The bench of Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice KV Vishwanathan said that so far only four out of 19 government witnesses have testified. The bench has sought answers from the Jammu and Kashmir government and the concerned trial court as to why the case is pending for the last seven years.
"You will have to give a satisfactory reason to justify the delay in completing the trial," the bench told the state government counsel. The lawyer sought time to file the state's reply to the bail plea of a man named Anoop Singh, who was booked for murder under the Ranvir Penal Code (now IPC).
The top court said, "The entire case of the prosecution rests on circumstantial evidence. We are troubled by the fact that the petitioner has been in custody as an undertrial since 2018." The bench also asked the Supreme Court registry to seek answers from the trial court concerned as to what is the status of the case and why the case is pending for the last seven years.
The Supreme Court said that the High Court had refused to grant regular bail to Anup Singh in connection with a crime registered in Samba district on October 18, 2018. On June 30, 2025, the High Court had rejected the bail plea of Anoop Singh and directed the trial court to expedite the trial without giving any adjournment to any party.
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