In Brief
Two government officers (a retired Circle Officer and Talathi) challenged the rejection of their anticipatory bail applications in an FIR alleging they certified forged mutation entries facilitating illegal property transfer. The Supreme Court upheld the High Court's rejection of anticipatory bail on substantive grounds—the prima facie case warranted investigation—but issued strong directions on judicial procedure. The Court held that bail and anticipatory bail applications must be decided expeditiously (preferably within two months) and cannot be left pending indefinitely, as prolonged pendency violates Articles 14 and 21. The 6-year pendency here, though not prejudicial to the appellants who enjoyed interim protection, exemplified a systemic problem requiring urgent remedy through High Court administrative measures and assignment of bail matters to Single Judges.
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