SC Acquits Man After 22 Years, SC Acquits HC for Delayed AppealSupreme Court acquits a man after 22 years in prison, slamming Delhi High Court for dismissing his delayed appeal and ordering his bail release as a landmark.
The Supreme Court has freed a prisoner who spent 22 years behind bars, censuring the Delhi High Court for ignoring his delayed appeal. It invoked Article 142 to order his bail release.
Supreme Court, Acquittal, 22 Years, Delhi High Court, Article 142, Bail Release, Orissa High Court, Prisoner Release
The Supreme Court has acquitted a man who spent 22 years in prison, after criticizing the Delhi High Court for dismissing his delayed appeal.
A bench of Justices J B Pardiwala and Ujjal Bhuyan invoked Article 142 to order his release on bail, requiring a personal bond of Rs 10,000 and directing the Koraput district legal services authority to help him file a remission request.
The convict, a poor murder accused abandoned by his family and lacking proper legal counsel, had his appeal rejected by the Orissa High Court in 2016, which dismissed it on the ground of delay without examining the merits.
He had already served more than 12 years in custody and had never been released on parole or furlough, leading the Court to note that further delay would be futile and to order his release as an exceptional measure.
