‘No Luxury To Prolong Trials For Years’: Supreme Court Orders Karnataka To Set Up Additional UAPA Court

New
Delhi,
Aug
12
(PTI)
Obse vi g
that
the
state
“ca ot
have
the
luxu y
of
p olo gi g
t ials
fo
yea s”,
the
Sup eme
Cou t
o
Wed esday
di ected
the
Ka ataka
gove me t
to
p ovide
i f ast uctu e
fo
a
additio al
special
cou t
to
exclusively
deal
with
cases
u de
the
UAPA
o
a
day-to-day
basis.

A
be ch
comp isi g
Chief
Justice
Su ya
Ka t
a d
Justices
Joymalya
Bagchi
a d
V
Moha a
passed
the
di ectio s
while
hea i g
a
plea
filed
by
Shahid
Kha ,
a
accused
i
a
PFI
co spi acy
case
i
which
the
p osecutio
p oposes
to
exami e
707
wit esses,
i cludi g
a
few
p otected
wit esses.

“We
di ect
the
State
of
Ka ataka
to
immediately
p ovide
the
equisite
i f ast uctu e,
i cludi g
the
c eatio
of
o e
additio al
post
i
the
Ka ataka
Highe
Judicial
Se vice,
alo g
with
the
equisite
staff
a d
othe
allied
facilities
as
pe
the
o ms
fixed
by
the
High
Cou t.
The
ecessa y
sa ctio s
shall
be
acco ded
withi
two
weeks,& dquo;
the
CJI
said
i
the
o de .

O ce
the
state
sa ctio s
the
equisite
i f ast uctu e,
staff
a d
posts,
the
chief
justice
of
the
Ka ataka
High
Cou t
will
spa e
a
judicial
office
to
p eside
ove
the
special
cou t
to
deal
exclusively
with
U lawful
Activities
(P eve tio )
Act
(UAPA)
o
a
day-to-day
basis,
the
cou t
said.

“The
p ese t
case
shall
also
be
e t usted
to
the
special
cou t.
The
P esidi g
Office
shall
fi st
exami e
the
th ee
p otected
wit esses,
followed
by
the
othe
vital
wit esses,
to
e su e
that
the
mate ial
evide ce
fo
the
p osecutio
is
eco ded
withi
a
maximum
pe iod
of
th ee
mo ths,& dquo;
the
be ch
o de ed.

Afte
the
exami atio
of
mate ial
wit esses,
the
petitio e
shall
be
at
libe ty
to
apply
af esh
fo
elease
o
bail,
it
said.

“Such
a
applicatio
shall
be
co side ed
o
its
ow
me its
without
bei g
i flue ced
by
the
obse vatio s
made
i
the
impug ed
o de ,& dquo;
it
said.

The
cou t
also
took
ote
of
the
existi g
wo kload
of
the
special
cou t.

The
state
i fo med
the
be ch
that
the
existi g
cou t
has
a ou d
97
t ials
pe di g
a d
that
epeated
i te im
bail
applicatio s
by
diffe e t
accused
we e
also
co sumi g
co side able
judicial
time.

The
be ch
oted
that
followi g
its
ea lie
o de ,
special
cou ts
have
bee
set
up
i
Ka ataka
to
t y
the
UAPA
cases,
with
each
cou t
expected
to
deal
with
ot
mo e
tha
12
to
15
cases.

“If
that
has
ot
bee
do e,
complia ce
with
ou
ea lie
o de
shall
also
be
e su ed.
I
that
sce a io,
the
P esidi g
Office
of
the
special
cou t
is
expected
to
deal
with
o ly
12
to
15
cases,
i cludi g
the
case
i
ha d,& dquo;
the
be ch
said.

Refe i g
to
the
delay,
the
be ch
said,
“The
state
ca ot
have
the
luxu y
of
p olo gi g
this
t ial
fo
yea s.& dquo;
Justice
Bagchi
obse ved
that
with
97
t ials
pe di g
i
special
cou ts,
eve
if
the
othe
cases
i volved
substa tially
fewe
wit esses,
thei
completio
could
take
yea s.
He
told
the
state
its
u de sta di g
of
i te im
bail
applicatio s
a d
the
exami atio
of
wit esses
was
“faulty& dquo;,
emphasisi g
that
exami atio
of
wit esses
fo ms
pa t
of
the
t ial
a d
should
ot
o di a ily
stop
me ely
because
a
accused
has
filed
a
i te im
bail
applicatio .

“Whe
a
wit ess
is
p ese t,
owhe e
i
I dia
is
the
wit ess
se t
back
because
a
bail
applicatio
has
bee
filed,& dquo;
he
said.

Refe i g
to
the
p ese t
case,
the
be ch
oted
that
o ly
a ou d
50
of
the
707
p osecutio
wit esses
we e
stated
to
be
mate ial
a d
o ly
th ee
p otected
wit esses
we e
equi ed
to
be
exami ed
i
the
immediate
phase.

“U less
the
t ial
is
take
up
o
a
day-to-day
basis,
it
will
be
p actically
impossible
to
co clude
it
withi
a
easo able
time,& dquo;
the
CJI
said.

The
CJI
also
c iticised
the
le gth
of
a
o de
passed
by
the
t ial
cou t
ejecti g
a
accused’s
i te im
bail
applicatio .

“Look
at
the
o de
passed
o
the
i te im
bail
applicatio .
The
t ial
cou t
has
spe t
about
12
pages
decli i g
i te im
bail
to
o e
accused.
This
exe cise
could
p obably
have
bee
completed
i
a
o e-page
o de ,& dquo;
the
CJI
said.

“If
the
t ial
cou t
passes
o de s
of
this
le gth,
half
of
the
day
will
be
co sumed
i
w iti g
o de s,& dquo;
he
added.

Se io
advocate
Aditya
So dhi,
appea i g
fo
Shahid
Kha ,
submitted
that
his
clie t
had
bee
i
custody
fo
ea ly
fou
yea s.
He
also
co te ded
that
i e
othe
accused
faci g
IPC
offe ces
a isi g
f om
substa tially
simila
allegatio s
we e
al eady
o
bail.

So dhi
said
his
clie t
had
moved
o ly
o e
i te im
bail
applicatio ,
followi g
the
death
of
his
fathe -i -law,
a d
that
too
was
ejected.

He
u ged
the
cou t
to
co side
the
petitio e ‘s
ight
to
a
speedy
t ial
u de
A ticle
21.& bsp;

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Apa t
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