Courts should be extremely cautious in entertaining bail applications by those accused of serious offences like murder, rape and dacoity after the trial of such cases has started and the prosecution has begun examining witnesses, the Supreme Court recently observed. A Division Bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and R Mahadevan added that it is only if the trial gets unduly delayed for no fault of the accused that the court may be justified in granting bail in such cases after the start of trial.
