In Brief
In this criminal appeal, the Supreme Court considered whether the High Court was justified in cancelling bail granted to 15 accused persons by the Principal Sessions Judge in a case involving charges of conspiracy and murder under the Indian Penal Code. The accused were charged in connection with the death of a fishermen's cooperative chairman. The High Court cancelled bail on grounds that the Sessions Court had not properly considered material and that the accused were intimidating witnesses. The Court held that bail cancellation is a harsh remedy that must not be lightly resorted to, and that the High Court erred in cancelling bail without establishing that the Sessions Court's order was seriously flawed or that specific evidence of witness intimidation existed. The appeal was allowed and the bail was restored.
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