Supreme Court judge Justice Ujjal Bhuyan has voiced concern over a rise in extra-judicial killings and custodial violence, questioning why accused persons are taken out at 3 am for crime-scene reconstruction and whether ‘shortcut methods’ are used to cover gaps in investigation. Speaking at a New Delhi event, he said the constitutional system does not approve of such situations, and expressed unease at young IPS officers personally assaulting demonstrators.
An Additional District and Sessions Judge in Muzaffarnagar, Ravi Kumar Diwakar, has used a judgment acquitting an NDPS accused to question the recall of 97 part-heard murder and serious-crime cases from his court. He held that under Section 409 CrPC a part-heard case cannot be recalled once trial has begun, that the recall orders were ‘without jurisdiction’ and non-speaking, and reflected on power, accountability and the rule of law.
The Madhya Pradesh High Court ruled that a District Collector has no authority under the Code of Criminal Procedure to direct police to recall a closure report or reopen a concluded investigation. It held that such executive interference unlawfully encroaches upon powers reserved exclusively for the judiciary.
Chief Justice of India Surya Kant constituted four special benches to fast-track some of the Supreme Court’s oldest pending civil and criminal cases. “The judiciary’s foremost obligation is not merely to decide cases, but to decide them within a timeframe that preserves faith in the rule of law,” he said.
The Madras High Court held that appointments of public prosecutors and government law officers must be based on merit, competence and integrity, not political recommendations. The Court emphasised that an independent, efficient prosecution system is essential for fair criminal justice and effective representation of victims and the State.
The Supreme Court Advocates-on-Record Association (SCAORA) condemned threats and a coordinated social media campaign against MP Judge Tabassum Khan, saying judicial orders must be challenged in appellate courts, not through intimidation, as such conduct undermines judicial independence and the rule of law.
