The Supreme Court overturned an Allahabad High Court decision that denied bail to an undertrial prisoner accused in a 2017 murder case. The Court termed the denial of bail as a violation of the right to a speedy trial under Article 21 of the Constitution. The petitioner, Vaibhav Singh, had been in judicial custody for almost nine years while the trial was ongoing.
The petitioner was arrested in 2017 for his alleged involvement in a case in Uttar Pradesh’s Gorakhpur district. The High Court’s reliance on a previous ruling to deny bail once the trial had started was deemed a misinterpretation by the Supreme Court. The Court emphasized the petitioner’s right to a speedy trial and the injustice of prolonged incarceration without fault.
The Supreme Court highlighted the blatant violation of the petitioner’s fundamental rights and ordered his immediate release on bail. The Court expressed strong disapproval of the High Court’s decision and stressed the importance of upholding the right to a speedy trial under the Constitution. The petitioner’s release on bail was subject to conditions set by the trial court, provided he was not needed in any other case.
