Prayagraj : While hearing a case in which an accused who has been languishing in jail since July 2019 without the examination of even a single witness, the Allahabad high court has expressed strong displeasure over the pace of trial in district courts. Justice Ajay Bhanot lamented the dismal state of affairs in districts' trial courts in terms of long incarnation of undertrials . He was hearing the bail plea of one Ashfaq whose case was being heard by a trial court in Prayagraj.
"This court is repeatedly finding that in district Allahabad (Prayagraj), the trials are moving at an inordinately slow pace and the courts seem to be unmindful of long periods of incarceration of the accused persons. There is prima facie disarray in the functioning of the judgeship. The district judge, Allahabad, should be alerted to the dismal state of affairs in the judgeship and take appropriate action as per law," the court said.
Bhanot added that repeated orders have been passed by the court in the past in this regard but to no avail. Earlier, the court had asked the district judge, Allahabad, to look into the present matter and also disclose the steps taken to sensitize trial court judges about expediting the trials in cases where the accused have been confined to jail for a long period of time. On Sept 17, the high court rejected the reply sent by the trial court regarding the delay in trial.
The failure of the trial court to issue coercive measures to compel the appearance of witnesses has no.