SC Slams Maharashtra Govt Over Trial Delays: 'Will Expose You In Public'

The Supreme Court on Tuesday pulled up the Maharashtra government for what it called excessive delays in a criminal trial involving a foreign national, warning that it would publicly name the state if it continued to oppose bail and slow down proceedings.

A bench of Justices S. Ravindra Bhat and Aravind Kumar expressed strong displeasure over the state's handling of the case, noting that the trial had been pending for an unusually long time. The court said that if the state did not expedite the matter, it would not hesitate to expose the government's conduct in open court.

The case pertains to a foreign national who has been in custody for several years without a conclusive trial. The court observed that the state's repeated opposition to bail and its failure to ensure speedy trial were contributing to the delay, which was violative of the accused's fundamental rights.

The bench directed the Maharashtra government to file a status report on the trial's progress and listed the matter for further hearing next week. It also warned that if the state continued to obstruct the process, the court would take a strict view and make its displeasure public.

The development comes amid growing judicial concern over the backlog of criminal cases and the rights of undertrial prisoners. The Supreme Court has in recent months emphasized the need for speedy trials, particularly in cases involving foreign nationals, where prolonged detention can have diplomatic and humanitarian implications.