SC Issues Notice to Jharkhand HC Over Delay in Delivering Verdict

New Delhi/Ranchi: The Supreme Court on Monday issued a notice to the Jharkhand High Court in response to a petition filed by 10 convicts, including six on death row, citing an inordinate delay in judgment delivery.

The convicts had appealed their convictions in the High Court between 2018 and 2019. Although hearings concluded between 2022 and 2023, the verdict remains pending, prompting them to seek relief from the apex court.

Of the 10 convicts, six face the death penalty while the rest are serving life terms. Nine are incarcerated in Birsa Munda Central Jail, Ranchi, and one has been granted bail from Dumka jail.

A bench of Justices Suryakant and Joymalya Bagchi observed that the same judge had reserved all the pending judgments, questioning the excessive delay.

Advocate Fauzia Shakil, representing the petitioners, argued that the delay violates Article 21 of the Constitution, which ensures the right to life and speedy justice. She emphasized the mental trauma of the death row inmates and referenced the HPA International vs Bhagwandas judgment, where the Supreme Court criticized indefinite reservation of verdicts.

The plea also pointed to Jharkhand High Court Rules, which mandate delivery of judgments within six weeks after hearings conclude, and cited SC precedents on granting bail to convicts who've served over eight years.

With inputs from IANS