In Brief
The appellant was charged with counterfeiting six currency notes of Rs.500 each under the Indian Penal Code. After two and a half years in custody with no significant trial progress and no criminal antecedents, he sought bail. The Supreme Court held that the accused deserved bail as the foundational principle is "bail is rule, jail is exception." The Court also criticized a widespread High Court practice of fixing time-bound trial schedules while denying bail—noting such directions should only occur in exceptional circumstances, not routinely. The Court directed the trial court to enlarge the appellant on bail with appropriate conditions until trial conclusion.
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