SC orders release of life term convict as bail plea kept pending for over 10 yrs

The Supreme Court has granted bail to a life term convict after noting that he has remained in jail for more than 14 years pending his appeal before the Allahabad High Court and his bail plea could not be disposed of there for more than 10 years.

In a writ petition filed before the top court, Ritu Pal, lodged in Agra Central Jail, contended that timely delivery of justice is a part of human rights and denial of speedy justice is a threat to public confidence is the administration of justice. He asked the top court to direct to grant him bail, pending his criminal appeal or ask the High Court to dispose of his bail plea within two weeks in a time-bound manner.

After hearing his counsel Rishi Malhotra, a bench of Chief Justice N V Ramana and Justices A S Bopanna and Hima Kohli ordered for his release on bail.

"The petitioner has already undergone 14 years and 3 months of actual custody and 17 years and 3 months of total custody with remission and more particularly the fact that the co-accused have already been released on bail and the bail application of the petitioner is pending consideration before the High Court since 2012, we deem it to be fit case to grant him bail," the bench said.

In his plea, the man said he was convicted by a trial court in 2008 for an incident in 2004. However, his appeal remained pending before the High Court since 2012.

"The petitioner has lost all his hopes of getting substantive justice from the High Court, and even if he is acquitted by the High Court, he has already undergone substantive sentence," his plea said.

Last year, in September, the top court had asked the Allahabad High Court and the Uttar Pradesh government to come out with a suggestion to dispose of pending bail pleas of life term convicts after expressing its concern over 1.83 lakh pending criminal appeals.

Earlier, it has also taken suo motu cognisance of pending criminal appeals in Allahabad High Court and favoured immediate listing of bail plea on filing of appeals.

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