In Brief
The petitioners, convicted under Sections 148, 302 and 149 IPC in 2007 for a 2005 incident, sought bail pending appeal. The Supreme Court declined to interfere with the High Court's bail rejection but, noting the appeal had been pending for a decade, directed the High Court to decide it within four months. The judgment addresses systemic delays in criminal appeals across Indian courts and emphasizes that Article 21 protects the right to speedy disposal of appeals. The Court initiated a pilot project to analyze and address long-pending criminal appeals in the Allahabad High Court, directing submission of detailed data on case pendency and remedial measures."
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