“The accused has a right to a speedy trial. The prosecution cannot be granted unlimited time to produce its witnesses and to harass the accused persons for their whole lifetime...” the court said.OBSERVING THAT the prosecution cannot be granted unlimited time to produce its witnesses and harass the accused persons for their lifetime, a special court ordered for the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) to close its evidence and proceed towards conclusion of the trial in a case pending since 2006.
In 2006, the NCB had seized 650 kgs of anthranilic acid. It had booked six accused, two of whom passed away during the pendency of the trial. In its order passed on Monday, the court said the charges were framed in the case in 2010 and only six witnesses have been examined since.
The court said the three witnesses were examined in 2018 and then in 2020. It said that it had granted the last opportunity to the prosecution in 2020 but the latter had failed to produce its witnesses.
“The accused has a right to a speedy trial. The prosecution cannot be granted unlimited time to produce its witnesses and to harass the accused persons for their whole lifetime…” the court said.