NEW DELHI: Expressing concern over courts denying bail in not very serious cases despite probe being completed, Supreme Court on Monday said it is unfortunate that relief is not being granted in such cases and the apex court has to intervene. A bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan said that 20 years ago, bail plea in such cases did not even reach HCs. It is shocking that the apex court is adjudicating such cases and it is flooded with such petitions, it said.
Twenty years ago, bail cases did not even reach HCs: Supreme Court SC has repeatedly flagged the issue and appealed to trial courts and HCs to be liberal in granting bail, particularly in not serious and petty offences. It had earlier expressed anguish over "intellectual dishonesty" by lower courts & HCs in continuously denying bail to accused in cases involving ordinary infractions, despite its various orders exhorting them to be liberal in granting bail when custody is not needed. While granting bail to an accused who had been in custody for over two years in a cheating case, the bench said, "It is unfortunate that bail matters in cases triable by magistrate come to SC for bail.
.. We are sorry to say that people are not getting bail.
.. It is unfortunate".
SC noted that the bail plea of the accused was rejected by a trial court and Gujarat HC, despite probe in the case completed and a chargesheet filed. Flagging the issue of SC being flooded by bail petitions as accused were coming to it for the relief, the be.