Now Reading: SC flags 44-year delay in Jharkhand murder case, frees convict
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SC flags 44-year delay in Jharkhand murder case, frees convict
The Supreme Court has flagged a "shocking pendency" of criminal appeals in the Jharkhand High Court after a double murder case from 1981 took 44 years through the judicial system. A bench…
The Supreme Court has flagged a "shocking pendency" of criminal appeals in the Jharkhand High Court after a double murder case from 1981 took 44 years through the judicial system. A bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and K Vinod Chandran called the delay a "failure of the judicial system." The trial court took 22 years to convict the accused in 2002, and the Jharkhand High Court took another 22 years to decide the appeal in 2024.
Of the six accused originally charged, five died during the proceedings. The sole surviving convict, Simon Soren, now around 70 and bed-ridden, had spent over two years in custody. The court suspended his sentence and ordered his release on bail, noting his medical condition. It directed the High Court to produce original records in physical and digital form within four weeks.
The Supreme Court allowed Soren to implead the Union of India to address the broader issue of appeal pendency. The Registrar General of the Jharkhand High Court filed an affidavit attributing part of the delay to the accused being absconding for six years. The court noted no explanation was given for the 12 years between charges being framed in 1991 and the trial verdict. The matter is next listed for September 18.
Indian Opinion Analysis
Both LiveLaw and the Times of India report the same core facts and quote the same Supreme Court observations. LiveLaw foregrounds the "shocking pendency" statistic and the High Court registrar's affidavit in greater detail, while the Times of India leads with the convict's age and medical condition. Neither outlet carries any government-critical or pro-government slant, both present the court's own criticism of the judiciary's delay as the primary frame. The coverage is uniform straight reporting. The implication is that the Supreme Court is using this case to force systemic accountability in High Court criminal appeals, a process now involving the Attorney General. The next hearing on September 18 will test whether the Centre offers a remedy.
Coverage: 2 sources, 2 neutral
Sources (2): livelaw.in (neutral report), timesofindia.indiatimes.com (neutral report)
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.
