“Repeatedly seeing huge Trial Delays in Maharashtra”: SC expresses concern over Trial where ‘Only One witness examined since 2019’

The Supreme Court has flagged serious concern over prolonged delays in criminal trials in Maharashtra while hearing a bail plea linked to a 2019 robbery and murder case from Nashik. A bench of Justice Ahsanuddin Amanullah and Justice R. Mahadevan issued notice and directed the Nashik Commissioner of Police to personally explain why the trial has barely progressed despite the passage of several years, highlighting concerns about systemic delay in criminal prosecutions.

The case stems from an armed robbery at a finance company office in Nashik where gold was allegedly looted and an employee was shot dead after resisting the attackers. The accused, arrested days after the incident, sought bail citing more than six years of incarceration and negligible trial progress. The defence pointed out that identification procedures were delayed and that only a single witness has been examined since the FIR was registered.

The prosecution opposed the plea, relying on recovery of the alleged weapon, ballistic evidence, CCTV footage, and identification during the parade, while attributing the slow pace of proceedings to lack of cooperation from the accused and co-accused. Earlier, the Bombay High Court had declined to grant bail considering the seriousness of the allegations and the material placed on record.

Examining the record, the bench expressed sharp dissatisfaction with the pace of the trial, noting that such delays undermine the criminal justice process. The Court observed that despite the case being registered in June 2019, the proceedings had hardly advanced. In a pointed remark, the bench stated that the fact that “only one witness having been examined, speaks volumes of the conduct of the prosecution.”

Seeking accountability, the Court directed the Nashik Commissioner of Police to submit a personally affirmed affidavit explaining the reasons behind the stalled trial and the role of each accused in the delay. The matter has been scheduled for further hearing on April 10, 2026.

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