SC seeks reports from all High Courts over pendency of bail matters
The Supreme Court on Wednesday sought reports from all High Courts on the pendency of bail matters, saying it was disappointing that pleas for personal liberty were not being expeditiously heard.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi directed the registrar generals of High Courts to provide details of all bail pleas, including regular and anticipatory applications, filed after January 1 this year.
The bench said the dates of filing, next hearing and decision, if any, have to be provided. It also sought details of pending bail pleas filed before January 2025.
It observed, “We are extremely disappointed to see how the prayers pertaining to the liberty of individuals are not being entertained.
Dockets may be heavy, and there may be matters requiring consideration, but there can be nothing more important than the prayer for bail.”
Underlining the delay in disposal of bail pleas across High Courts, the bench said that in the Patna High Court, bail matters were not urgently listed, and petitioners approached the Supreme Court seeking listing of bail pleas before the High Court.
“We are conscious of the fact that listing is the exclusive prerogative of the chief justices since they are masters of the roster.
People are languishing in jail, and bail pleas are not heard, and there is complete uncertainty as to when they will know the fate of their application.”
“This court is under the bounden duty to issue certain mandatory guidelines,” the bench said, requesting the chief justices to revisit their rosters, and expand them for listing the bail pleas if there was a “mismatch between the total pendency and bench”.
It said that before such directions were issued, it was imperative to seek the details regarding the pendency of bail matters.
The bench also asked the state agencies to cooperate with the courts to ensure expeditious disposal of bail matters.
The Supreme Court was hearing a petition regarding the adjournments in a bail matter pending in the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
