One Bench, One Sitting, 476 Decisions: HC Grants bail to hundreds in Prohibition Cases

In an extraordinary judicial exercise, the Patna High Court, led by Justice Rudra Prakash Mishra, disposed of 476 cases in a single sitting on January 19, granting bail in an overwhelming majority of matters arising under the Bihar Excise and Prohibition Act, a move seen as immediate relief for hundreds of undertrial prisoners caught in prolonged custody.

The day’s cause list carried more than 500 matters, largely dominated by bail pleas filed by accused booked under the State’s stringent prohibition law. With courts grappling with a growing accumulation of such applications, many involving routine allegations and extended incarceration, the mounting backlog had become a persistent concern.

Observers noted that the proceedings reflected the sheer volume of cases flooding the High Court under the prohibition regime, where delays often translate into continued detention without timely adjudication.

Justice Mishra proceeded to hear and decide 476 matters, granting bail in 463 cases, well over ninety percent of the disposed matters. According to those present, several bail orders were pronounced with remarkable speed, in some instances taking “less than thirty seconds” per case. The swift disposal underscored the Court’s view that prolonged custody in such cases warranted immediate correction, culminating in a bulk grant of bail to eligible applicants.

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