The Supreme Court reinstated the murder trial against a former MLA, highlighting concerns over political influence. It criticized the High Court for repeatedly adjourning revision petitions, allowing the accused to postpone their trial.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court raised concerns about lengthy delays and potential political interference in the justice system as it reinstated the trial of Chhote Singh, a former BSP MLA now affiliated with the BJP, in a double murder case that has been pending for three decades.
A bench comprising justices Vikram Nath and Satish Chandra Sharma highlighted the systemic challenges within the judicial process. They noted that the undue influence of powerful individuals often leads to significant delays, undermining the fairness and impartiality of legal proceedings.
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The bench stated,
“The judicial system in our country frequently struggles with pervasive issues of prolonged delay and suspected political influence within legal proceedings. The undue influence wielded by powerful individuals exacerbates the situation, raising concerns about fairness and impartiality. This highlights the urgent need to address systemic flaws and ensure the timely resolution of legal disputes.”
Authored by justice Nath,
“Matters of a gruesome crime akin to the double murder in the present case do not warrant withdrawal of prosecution merely on the ground of good public image of an accused named in the charge sheet after thorough investigation. Contrary to the trial court’s view (in 2012), such withdrawal cannot be said to be allowed in the public interest. This reasoning cannot be accepted especially in cases of involvement of influential people,”
Criticising the Allahabad high court in its judgment, the bench regretted that by allowing the accused persons to deploy dilatory tactics to delay their trial, the high failed to ensure that the justice system set in motion and is not halted due to the lamentable spectre of political influence.
The Supreme Court also instructed the High Court to promptly return the original records to the trial court in Jalaun to facilitate the swift conclusion of a criminal trial that has been pending for nearly three decades.
Chhote Singh and nine others accused of the May 1994 shooting deaths of Jagdish Sharan Srivastava and Rajkumar. In 2007, Singh elected as an MLA from BSP, which then decided to withdraw the prosecution against all ten accused. While the trial court allowed the state’s application to withdraw charges against Singh in 2012, it continued the trial for the other accused.
The victims’ families challenged the withdrawal in the High Court, and the co-accused contested the continuation of their trial, leaving the matter pending since 2012 and stalling the trial.
The judgment highlighted the concerning situation where politically influential individuals, accused of committing a double murder in broad daylight, have managed to avoid trial for almost thirty years.
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The bench noted,
“The trial court’s order dated 19.05.2012 reveals that political power has been used to withdraw the prosecution of accused Chhote Singh. This order, challenged by both the accused and the victims, has been pending before the High Court for twelve years, leading to a troubling stagnation in trial proceedings.”
The Supreme Court unequivocal in its position that being an elected official should not protect an individual from prosecution, particularly in serious cases like double murder. Reinstating Singh’s trial, it criticized the trial court’s rationale for allowing the withdrawal based on his public image.